For tech fans, September has become synonymous with Apple's new iPhone launch. And if history repeats itself as it has for the past seven years, we'll be getting a look at what's next for the iPhone at the company's upcoming September 15 event.
Apple has held an event to debut its new iPhone every September since 2012. This year is different than previous launches, however, because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted business for Apple and the rest of the world.
Instead of inviting press to an in-person press conference on its campus, the company updated its events website to include a virtual event streamed from Apple Park. The focus of this year's September event may be the new Apple Watch and iPad, instead of the iPhone, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Luca Maestri, Apple's chief financial officer and senior vice president, said on the company's most recent earnings call that it expects supply of its next iPhone to arrive a few weeks later than last year's models.
But the firm still believes there's a strong demand for iPhones despite the economic uncertainty stemming from the virus. Apple is reportedly ordering at least 75 million units of its new iPhones from suppliers, according to Bloomberg, indicating that sales expectations are the same as last year.
The new iPhone is expected to represent a notable overhaul, bringing 5G connectivity, a fresh design, new size options, and better performance, according to reports and rumors.
Apple is also said to be working on a bevy of other new products, some of which may also debut this month.
Here's a closer look at everything we're expecting to see.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro
The iPhone 11 lineup
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
Apple's new iPhone is usually the main attraction at its September events. The company is expected to launch four versions of the iPhone 12 this fall, according to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu and TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
All four models are expected to support 5G connectivity and will feature OLED screens, which will offer deeper black tones and better contrast (OLED displays are only currently available on the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max).
Two of the phones are expected to be sequels to the cheaper iPhone 11, while the other two will succeed the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The two less expensive models will reportedly come in 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch size options, while the pricier ones are said to come in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch variants.
The larger iPhone 12 Pro will come with the same Lidar sensor for enabling better augmented reality performance as the iPad Pro, according to Bloomberg. That report also said the regular iPhones are expected to ship sooner than the Pro models.
Apple typically reveals its new iPhones at its September events, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple may actually unveil its new iPhones in October instead.
The Apple Watch Series 6 and a new cheaper Apple Watch
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Apple typically introduces new Apple Watch models alongside the new iPhone every September, so there's a chance we'll see new watch models this month, too.
The next Apple Watch, likely to be called the Apple Watch Series 6, is said to offer the ability to measure blood-oxygen levels, according to 9to5Mac. Since Apple just brought native sleep tracking to the Apple Watch through its watchOS 7 software update, there's a chance the new model could come with more advanced sleep-oriented capabilities and better battery life.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also reports that Apple will also release a new low-cost Apple Watch alongside the Series 6 to replace the Series 3.
A smaller, cheaper new HomePod
AP
Apple made its first big push to compete against smart speakers from Amazon and Google with the HomePod in 2017. That device failed to gain as much traction as those rival products, but now Apple is said to be coming back with a new smaller HomePod at a cheaper price, according to Bloomberg.
Apple's first over-ear headphones
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Apple is also planning to release its first self-branded pair of over-ear headphones as part of its fall product launch, according to Bloomberg. It's not the first time we've heard that Apple is working on such a product; Bloomberg also published a report in April detailing some of the headphones' features.
The new over-ear headphones are expected to come in two variants, a premium version and a fitness-oriented model with more breathable fabrics. The headphones would also be designed to be customized by the user, the report says.
Kuo also previously reported that Apple is working on a pair of over-ear headphones, but he initially predicted that they were slated to launch in early 2020, according to MacRumors.
Launching a pair of high-end headphones would build on the success Apple has seen with its AirPods, which along with the Apple Watch has helped spur notable growth in the company's wearables division.
A new iPad Air that looks like the iPad Pro
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
Apple will also launch a new version of the iPad Air with an edge-to-edge screen like the iPad Pro, according to Bloomberg.
This wouldn't be the first time features from the iPad Pro have trickled down to other models. Apple introduced new iPad Air and iPad mini models that support Apple Pencil last year.
More information about Apple's new software updates
Apple typically unveils new software updates for major products like the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June before debuting them in the fall. If history is any indication, we'll learn when Apple's iOS 14, watchOS 7, iPadOS 14, and macOS Big Sur updates will be available to download.
Other rumored Apple products
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Apple is also rumored to have a bunch of other products in the pipeline, but they seem less likely to debut at the company's fall event.
Apple is reportedly developing a faster new Apple TV, for example, according to 9to5Mac and Bloomberg. But that device may not ship until next year, says Bloomberg.
Apple also said that the first Mac computers to run on its new Apple silicon processor would launch by the end of the year. However, the company doesn't typically announce new Macs at its September event.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a new product called AirTags, which would be markers that you can stick on belongings like keys or a wallet so that you can easily find them with your iPhone, according to reports from 9to5Mac and MacRumors. A new pair of AirPods is also reportedly in the works, according to Kuo and Bloomberg's Gurman, but the analyst expects these to launch in 2021.
There's also a chance Apple could release a new wireless charging mat, according to Kuo, although details are scarce.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Bruce Williamson, the former lead singer for The Temptations, died from the coronavirus on September 6, 2020. Williamson was a part of the R&B group from 2007 to 2015. He died in his Las Vegas home and was 49 years old. "There's no words in the world that can express how I feel right now I love you Daddy," his son wrote on Facebook.
William Pursell, a two-time Grammy-nominated music composer, died from coronavirus-induced pneumonia on September 3, 2020. He was 94. During his career, Pursell worked with musicians like Patsy Cline and Bob Dylan and composed "Our Winter Love."
Frank Cullotta, a former mobster, died of health complications related to the coronavirus on August 20, the Associated Press reported. Cullotta was granted immunity for testifying against his former boss and spent his later years as a YouTuber and a mob museum tour guide.
Trini Lopez, a pop singer, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 83 on August 11, per Mirror. The musician was known for starring in the film, "The Dirty Dozen."
Trini Lopez during A Douglas Family Celebration Presented by Palm Springs International Film Society and Film Festival at Annenberg Theatre at Palm Springs Desert Museum.
Herman Cain, a former Republican presidential candidate, has died from coronavirus, his website shared on July 30. He was hospitalized less than two weeks after attending President Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20, and remained there for close to a month. Most recently, Cain was a contributor to the conservative website Newsmax TV and was set to launch a weekly show.
A post shared by AK! ⭐️ (@amandakloots) on Jul 5, 2020 at 6:05pm PDT
Cordero's wife, Amanda Kloots, confirmed the news on Instagram and said he was "was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth."
Cordero was being treated at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for over 90 days. Over the course of his hospitalization, the 41-year-old was put into a medically induced coma and had his right leg amputated.
The Canadian actor is best known for his performances on Broadway in "Rock of Ages," "Waitress," and "Bullets over Broadway."
Dan Foster, a radio personality, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at age 61 on June 17. Foster was a radio host in Nigeria, where he has been referred to as "the God of radio."
Nur Omar Mohamed, Rep. Ilhan Omar's father, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at age 67, Omar tweeted on June 15. Omar told the New York Times in 2018 that her father's advice has guided her through life.
Nur Omar Mohamed poses with the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and his daughter, Representative Ilhan Omar in 2019.
34-year-old singer Chris Trousdale died of health complications related to the coronavirus on June 2. Trousdale was known for singing and dancing in a boy band called Dream Street from 1999 to 2002.
Chris Trousdale attends Beverly Center x The Advocate x World of Wonder Pride Event at Beverly Center on June 22, 2019, in Los Angeles.
Author H.G. Carrillo, who wrote the novel "Loosing My Espanish," died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 59, the Washington Post reported on May 22. Carrillo was on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and taught at George Washington University.
The Washington Post updated its initial reports of Carrillo's death on May 23 stating that Carrillo was actually from Detroit, Michigan, and not a Cuban immigrant as Carrillo himself had previously claimed.
U.S. Senator Annie Glenn died of health complications related to the coronavirus on May 19 at 100. She was the widow of former astronaut John Glenn.
Annie Glenn listens to her husband John speak at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library.
Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images
Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, a former White House butler, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 91, Fox 5 reported on May 19. Serving as a cleaner, doorman, and butler for 11 presidents from 1957 to 2012, he was one of the White House's longest-serving employees.
Jerman was a White House butler until 2012.
Roy Horn, an entertainer and half of the famed magician duo Siegfried & Roy, died of complications due to COVID-19 at 75 on May 8. Roy and his professional and domestic partner Siegfried Fischbacher had a long-running Las Vegas production lasting 35 years.
Entertainer Roy Horn poses as he arrives for Elizabeth Taylor's 75th birthday party at the Ritz-Carlton in Lake Las Vegas, in Henderson, Nevada February 27, 2007.
Jimmy Glenn, a Boxing Hall of Fame trainer turned New York bar owner, died of health complications related to the coronavirus, Eater reported on May 7. Glenn owned Jimmy's Corner, a famous dive bar in Times Square.
Jimmy Glenn sits at the bar of his famous Times Square bar Jimmy's Corner in 2014.
Ty, A UK-based rapper, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at age 47, the Guardian reported on May 7. Ty's album "Upwards" was nominated for the Mercury Prize, an annual UK music award, in 2004.
Ty performs live during the annual Nationwide Mercury Music Prize at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, in London in 2004.
Michael Halkias, owner of the Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn, New York, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 82, Anamniseis reported on May 6. The Grand Prospect Hall is a national historic landmark that has been used as a concert venue, film set, and commercial shooting space for notable brands like Vogue and American Express.
Len Fagan, drummer and owner of the nightclub Coconut Teaszer, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 72 on May 3, the club's Facebook page shared. Fagan is credited with helping to build the Los Angeles music scene with his showcases of up-and-coming bands.
Gulshan Ewing, a journalist, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 92, her daughter Anjali Ewing confirmed to BBC on May 1. Ewing was known for editing two of India's most popular women's magazines — Eve's Weekly and Star & Style. Ewing guided young female journalists during a feminist movement in the 1970s and 1980s.
Actor BJ Hogg died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 65, Express confirmed on April 30. One of Hogg's most notables roles was on the HBO series Games of Thrones as Sir Addam Mabrand.
Jonathan Adewumi, co-owner of an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Brooklyn called Amarachi, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 57, NY1 reported on April 28. Eater called Adewumi "one of Brooklyn's staunchest advocates for African culture and cooking."
Troy Sneed, a grammy-nominated gospel singer, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 52, his friend, radio personality KD Bowe, confirmed on Instagram on April 27. Sneed released seven albums between 1999 and 2012.
Richard Sanders, a journalist, died after complications from the coronavirus at 62, BBC confirmed on April 25. Sanders was best known for presenting BBC Radio 4's Farming Today show.
An entrance to the BBC headquarters in London pictured in 2017.
Fredrick Thomas, a rapper from the Bronx, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 35 on April 23. A notable New York rapper for over a decade, he was known by fans as Fred the Godson.
Fred The Godson backstage at S.O.B.'s on February 25, 2020, in New York City.
Matteo De Cosmo, an art director, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 52 on April 21, Variety reported on May 1. De Cosmo was best known for his work on the Marvel TV show, "The Punisher."
Matthew Seligman, a lawyer and musician, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 64 on April 17. He was best known for playing guitar live with rock legend David Bowie in 1985.
Matthew Seligman performs with Thomas Dolby and his band at Union Chapel on February 28, 2010, in London.
Luis Sepúlveda, a Chilean author, died of health complications related to the coronavirus on at 70 on April 16. Sepúlveda was best known for his novels "The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" and "The Story of a Seagull and The Cat Who Taught Her To Fly." Sepúlveda was a political activist early in life. He was jailed by dictator Augusto Pinochet and later exiled.
Luis Sepúlveda is on the right.
John Horton Conway, a mathematician, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 82 on April 11. Conway created the online "Game of Life" game to teach players how life evolves.
Charles Gregory, an Emmy-nominated hairstylist, died of health complications related to the coronavirus on April 8. Gregory was known for working on films and TV shows with Tyley Perry.
Ahmed Ismail Hussein, a Somalian musician, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 91 on April 7. Hussein was known as "King of Oud," for his masterful playing of the oud, which is a stringed instrument.
Yaakov Perlow, a leading ultra-Orthodox rabbi, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 89 on April 7. Perlow served as the president of Agudath Israel of America for more than 20 years. The Agudath Israel of America is an organization for ultra-Orthodox Jews in the US that Perlow's grandfather started in Poland.
Rabbi Yaakov Perlow addresses a large crowd of Orthodox Jews at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in 2012.
Allen Garfield, an actor, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 80 on April 7. He was known for his supporting roles in the 1970s and 1980s, including key roles in the films "Nashville" and "Beverly Hills Cop II."
Allen Garfield at the screening for "Irreconcilable Differences" in Los Angeles in 1984.
American country folk singer-songwriter John Prine died of complications related to coronavirus, his family confirmed to Rolling Stone on April 7. He was 73. According to Rolling Stone, the country legend died at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
John Prine performs on stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA on October 2, 2009. He plays a Martin acoustic guitar.
Variety confirmed that Hal Willner died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 64 on April 7. Willner was a music sketch producer at SNL for about 20 years. He was also a record producer known for producing Disney tribute albums.
Hal Willner performs at a celebration at the Ace Hotel Theater on April 7, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Variety reported on April 5 that Lee Fierro, an actress best known for her role in "Jaws," had died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 91. Fierro played Mrs. Kintner, the mother that slapped Chief Brody, played by Roy Scheider, across the face in the iconic 1975 film.
Lee Fierro's famous scene in "Jaws."
Forrest Compton, an actor known for his role in the soap opera "Edge of the Night," died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 94 on April 5. Compton served in World War II and attended the Yale Drama School.
Forrest Compton appearing on the soap opera "Edge of Night."
Cathy Blaivas /Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
Mahmoud Jibril, former Libyan Prime Minister and head of National Forces Alliance, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 67 on April 5. Jibril was the head of the NATO-supported opposition government that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi's 40-year long rule in 2011.
Interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril speaks at a news conference during the General Assembly at the United Nations in 2011 in New York City.
Actor Jay Benedict died of health complications related to the novel coronavirus on April 4, his agency TCG, tweeted. Benedict appeared in some major films, including "Aliens" and "The Dark Knight Rises."
Jay Benedict attends the London Film and Comic Convention at Earls Court on July 19, 2008, in London.
Patricia Bosworth, a Hollywood actress who wrote bestselling biographies about Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, and Montgomery Clift, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 86 on April 3. Bosworth co-starred with Audrey Hepburn in "The Nun's Story" in 1959.
Patricia Bosworth arrives for the premiere of "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" in New York.
Sergio Rossi, a high-end women's shoemaker, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 84 on April 2. Rihanna, Paris Hilton, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift are amongst some of his admirers. CNN reports that, in March, his company had announced it would be donating over $100,000 and pledging all of its online sales to the fight against COVID-19.
A pair of shoes made by Sergio Rossi.
Adam Schlesinger, a Grammy, Tony, Oscar, and Emmy nominated musician and songwriter, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 52 on April 1. Schlesinger co-founded the pop band "Fountains of Wayne" and won an Emmy for his work on "My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend."
Adam Schlesinger poses with an Emmy Award.
Jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, a prominent figure in the 70s New York music scene, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 94 on April 1.
Bucky Pizzarelli performs at the 2015 Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival in New Jersey.
Ellis Marsalis Jr., a pianist who led a late 20th-century revival in jazz music, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 85 on April 1.
Ellis Marsalis, Jr. performs during day 7 of the 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Kevin Thomas Duffy, a federal judge who presided over terrorism cases, died of health complications related to coronavirus at 87 on April 1. He's best known for overseeing the World Trade Center bombing trial in 1993.
A courtroom sketch from 1997 featuring Kevin Thomas Duffy.
Jesus Roman Melendez, a prestigious New York chef, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 49 on April 1. Melendez was known as the "backbone" of Jean Georges, a high-end French restaurant with two Michelin stars.
Jean-Georges restaurant located at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City.
Cristina Monet, a singer-songwriter from New York, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 64 on March 31. With a unique, experimental style, she brought a fresh outlook to New York's nightlife scene in the 70s and 80s.
Jenny Polanco, a fashion designer who revolutionized Dominican style, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 62 on March 31.
Jenny Polanco walks the runway during the runway during the Miami Fashion Week in 2019.
Wallace Roney, a jazz trumpeter called "Miles Davis's only true protégé" by The New York Times, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 59 on March 31.
American Jazz musician Wallace Roney at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York in 2016.
Pape Diouf, the former president of Olympique de Marseille, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at age 68 on March 31. The French football club confirmed his death in a statement on Twitter. Diouf was the first black president of a top-tier European club.
Pape Diouf, in Marseille, France, in 2014.
Lorena Borjas, a transgender immigrant activist who turned her home in New York into an HIV clinic died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 59 on March 30.
James T. Goodrich, a neurosurgeon who was a pioneer in separating conjoined twins, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 73 on March 30. Goodrich first became prominent in 2004 for operating on twins who shared significant amounts of brain tissue.
James T. Goodrich, second from the left, celebrates the birthday of conjoined twins he operated on in 2004.
Joe Diffie, a country musician who was known for the hits "John Deere Green" and "If the Devil Danced," died from health complications related to the coronavirus at 61 on March 29.
Joe Diffie performs onstage during the 2019 Stagecoach Festival at Empire Polo Field on April 26, 2019, in Indio, California.
Ken Shimura, a beloved comedian, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 70 on March 29. The New York Times describes him as a "household name" in Japanese culture.
Ken Shimura attends the 'Yo-Kai Watch' movie PR event in Tokyo in 2014.
Alan Merrill, a musician who co-wrote "I Love Rock 'N' Roll" with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, died from health complications related to the coronavirus at 69 on March 29.
Alan Merrill in Greenwich Village on September 13, 2009.
William Helmreich, a scholar, sociologist, and professor who walked every block of New York City and wrote a book about it, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 74 on March 28. Helmreich was described as "fearless" by the New York Times in his efforts to communicate with and learn about other people.
William Helmreich walked every block in New York City.
Tim Liszewski, a progressive activist, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 60 on March 28. Liszewski was a senior regional organizer with the Indivisible Project in South Carolina. The group is dedicated to electing progressive, anti-Trump candidates.
Maris Burton poses for a portrait outside her home on April 2, 2020. Burton's fiance, Tim Liszewski, who died of the coronavirus, gave her an engagement ring symbolizing their two paths intertwining.
Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Michael McKinnell, an architect who designed the Boston City Hall, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 84 on March 27. McKinnell entered a contest for the design of the building, and he won because of his innovative and public-minded design.
City Hall in Boston is seen on Dec., 12, 2006.
Andreas Koutsoudakis, the chef who ran Tribeca's Kitchen, a popular diner in New York, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 59 on March 27.
Actor Mark Blum, 69, who recently starred in the TV show "You," died on March 26 from health complications related to the coronavirus. He's best known for his role in "Desperately Seeking Susan."
Actor Mark Blum attends the "Amy And The Orphans" opening night at Laura Pels Theatre on March 1, 2018.
Michael Sorkin, a New York architect and author who prioritized sustainability, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 71 on March 26.
Michael Sorkin is a New York architect and a revolutionary Urban Planner.
Chef Floyd Cardoz, 59, of Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar, died of health complications related to the novel coronavirus on March 25. Eater NY described him as a "force in New York's restaurant community."
Chef Floyd Cardoz with Kerala-style banana-leaf salmon from Paowalla at the New York Taste, November 1, 2016.
Manu Dibango, the jazz musician behind "Soul Makossa," a track that has been sampled by Michael Jackson and Kanye West, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 86 on March 24.
Manu Dibango performs during Torino Jazz Festival in Italy on April 28, 2014.
Dr. John Murray, a globally recognized respiratory doctor, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 92 on March 24. Murray was known for helping scientists understand acute respiratory distress syndrome.
John Murray at his home in Paris in 2015.
Terrence McNally, a Tony Award-winning playwright, died on March 24 of health complications related to the coronavirus. McNally was a lung-cancer survivor living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Terrence McNally at the 2019 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York on June 9, 2019.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
Nashom Wooden, known by the drag community as Mona Foot, died at 50 on March 23 of an illness that was believed to be the novel coronavirus, although it was not confirmed. While Wooden lived with HIV for several years, it had dropped to undetectable levels before he died. Wooden was a writer, performer, bartender, and fashion icon in the LGBT community.
Mona Foot at during Wigstock 2018 at Pier 17 in New York, September 1, 2018.
Zororo Makamba, a journalist and TV host, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 30 on March 23 with a preexisting condition. He was recovering from a surgery he had last November to remove a tumor from beneath his lung. Makamba was well-known for the social and political commentary he shared online.
Lucia Bosè, an actress who starred on the TV show "Double Image," died at 89 of pneumonia on March 23. Spanish news outlet 5TeleCinco reported that she was infected with the coronavirus.
The Italian actress Lucia Bosé during the filming of the TV show "Double Image" in the garden of her home in Madrid in 1969.
Ronald Lewis, a life-long New Orleans resident, died of health complications related to the coronavirus at 68 on March 30. In his own backyard, Lewis had an African-American cultural museum called "House of Dance and Feathers," which preserves the street culture in New Orlean's black neighborhoods that dates back to the 1800s.
Ronald Lewis holds his hat over his heart as a flag is raised at a memorial on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2007.
Li Wenliang, a Chinese doctor who tried to warn medics of the novel coronavirus and contracted it while treating patients in Wuhan, China, died of the virus on February 7.
Li Wenliang wears a respirator mask, following the coronavirus outbreak, in Wuhan, China, on February 3, 2020.
On the morning of September 8, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the southeastern outskirts of recently liberated Paris. The blast killed six people and wounded 36 more. Nearly eight hours later, two more explosions occurred in London, killing three people and wounding 17.
One of the explosions in London left a crater 30 feet wide and 8 feet deep. The site was closed to the public, and censors barred journalists from reporting on it. The blast was blamed on a faulty gas main and quickly hushed up.
Hundreds of explosions in the following weeks forced the British to admit the truth. The Germans had launched a horrifying new type of weapon at France and England: the V-2, the first guided ballistic missile in history.
For almost a year, more than 3,000 V-2s would be launched at civilian and military targets in Belgium, Britain, France, and the Netherlands.
A vengeance weapon
London's Smithfield Market after a V-2 strike on March 8, 1945. Among the 110 killed and 366 injured were many women and children who were at the market.
AP Photo
Development of the V-2 started in 1934. The German Wehrmacht had a keen interest in rockets, and some of Germany's best engineers were tasked by the military to create this new "Wunderwaffe" or "wonder weapon."
The missile had its first successful test flight in October 1942. Traveling over 118 miles and reaching an altitude of 277,200 feet, or 52.5 miles, it was the first rocket to reach the edge of space.
The project was repeatedly downgraded and upgraded during the war, but in 1943 it became one of the largest weapons projects of the Third Reich.
Hitler, angry at the destruction Allied bombing was causing in Germany, wanted to strike Allied cities in revenge. The missile became the second in Hitler's series of "Vergeltungswaffen," or "vengeance weapons," and was designated V-2.
A Canadian soldiers inspects the propulsion unit of a V-2 rocket in Belgium, November 28, 1944.
AP Photo
About 6,000 V-2 rockets were built. They were intended to be launched from hardened complexes similar to modern missile silos, but Allied bombing and advances on the ground forced the Germans to rely on mobile launch platforms.
V-2s were much more complex and larger than their predecessor, the V-1. They were about 46 feet tall and were equipped with a 2,000-pound amatol warhead at the tip. They also had a range of 200 miles.
After launch, the missile rose over 50 miles into the air and reached a speed of over 3,000 mph, enabling most to reach their targets in just five minutes. V-2s were so fast that they could hit their targets at up to 1,790 mph.
A program of death and destruction
The aftermath of a V-2 strike, seen through the arch of a wrecked church, in southern England in 1944.
AP Photo
Their speed and operational ceiling made them impossible to intercept, and Allied attempts to jam the V-2's guidance system were useless, as the missile did not use radio guidance. (Its guidance system was an innovation in its own right; gyroscopes and an analog computer in it constantly tracked and adjusted its course to a preprogrammed destination.)
Up to 100 V-2s were launched each day, and they wreaked havoc on Allied cities. Over 2,700 people were killed by the missiles in Britain alone.
One V-2 struck a packed cinema in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, killing 567 people, including 296 Allied soldiers — the deadliest strike from a single piece of aerial ordnance in the European theater.
A US soldier inspects the propulsion unit of a V-2 rocket that fell in Belgium on December 5, 1944.
AP Photo
There is no complete official toll, but it is estimated that V-2 attacks killed anywhere from 5,000 to 9,000 people. Together, V-1 and V-2 attacks caused over 30,000 civilian casualties and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
That number does not include the deaths of 10,000 to 20,000 people who were used as slave labor in V-2 construction at the underground Mittelwerk factory and various concentration camps.
Desperate to stop the strikes, the Allies launched Operation Crossbow — a series of operations and bombing campaigns aimed at destroying the V-weapon program. The Allies were aware of the V-2 as early as 1943 and even managed to obtain V-2 parts with the assistance of the Polish Home Army.
A lasting legacy
Allied troops walk past a burning victim and military vehicle in an intersection after a V-2 attack in Antwerp, November 27, 1944.
AP Photo
In the end, the V-2, like many of Nazi Germany's so-called wonder weapons, was too little, too late. Though the civilian body count was high, it was smaller than that caused by other weapons.
Moreover, V-2s did almost no significant damage to military targets, and by 1944 the Allied war machine was just too large for Germany to fight off.
The Wehrmacht spent so much money and resources on the V-2 for such minimal military gain that Freeman Dyson, a Royal Air Force analyst during the war, later likened it to "a policy of unilateral disarmament."
Associated Press photographer Bill Allen looks over one of nine unassembled V-2s captured by the US Army on a train near Bromskirchen, Germany, April 6, 1945.
AP Photo
But the V-2 left a lasting legacy. Combined with the advent of nuclear weapons, it proved that the most important weapons of the future would be ballistic missiles.
The Soviets and the Western Allies scrambled to collect as much of the V-2 program as possible when the war ended, and some of the earliest ballistic missiles on both sides of the Cold War were essentially copies of the V-2.
Many scientists from the V-2 program, including its leader, Wernher von Braun, were also directly involved in the US space program, ultimately helping NASA land on the moon in 1969.
The recent stock market slide will give way to a new economic cycle and corresponding bull market, Peter Oppenheimer, chief global equity strategist at Goldman Sachs, said in a Monday note.
Equities are poised to fall further, particularly if the US economic recovery falters, Oppenheimer said.
Yet a collection of trends and gauges points to the bull market strengthening over the next few years as investors shift into post-pandemic strategies, he added.
Here are Oppenheimer's 10 reasons why the bull market can surge higher.
Stocks are taking a breather after surging through the summer. Peter Oppenheimer, chief global equity strategist at Goldman Sachs, sees the pullback making room for an even stronger bull market.
Last week's tech-led market tumble continued on Tuesday as investors shifted more cash away from growth favorites and into safe havens. Thursday marked stocks' worst day since June and reminded market participants of the shaky foundations supporting indexes' surge to fresh records.
Stocks are certainly vulnerable to a steeper correction, especially if the US economic recovery "starts to lose momentum," Oppenheimer wrote in a Monday note. But investors expecting such near-term challenges to derail the bull market are wrongfully pessimistic, he added.
Here are the 10 reasons Oppenheimer sees the bull market having more room to run.
Goldman views each stock-market cycle as having four phases: hope, growth, optimism, and despair. Unless another wave of COVID-19 infections slams the economy, the market probably entered a new cycle and sits squarely in a fresh "hope" phase, Oppenheimer said.
"We appear to be in the early stages of a new bull market," he added.
The introduction of a new cycle comes with some turbulence. "It would not be unusual" for the market to swing lower in the hope phase as overly optimistic investors bring their expectations in line with reality, Oppenheimer wrote. Yet the period is set to bring healthy returns and give way to a longer "growth" phase with more modest gains.
Clearer vaccine outlook
The US economic recovery now rests on sturdier foundations as potential coronavirus vaccines show positive trial results, Oppenheimer said. Goldman's economists expect at least one vaccine to be approved in the fall, with widespread distribution lifting economic activity in the first half of 2021.
Even if a vaccine arrives so soon, Oppenheimer expects fiscal and monetary support to stay in place and solidify the nation's rebound.
"Authorities would likely allow economies to run hot for a while to establish the economic recovery, likely pushing risk assets and equities higher," he wrote.
Goldman's economists recently lifted their economic forecasts, and similar adjustments at other firms will likely follow, according to Oppenheimer. Most years bring negative updates, but the bank found post-recession years yielding upward revisions most of the time. A wave of fresh analyst optimism stands to boost equities.
Apart from Goldman anticipating the formation of a new bull market, its own bear market indicator shows a 44% chance of another bear market emerging.
"While these high valuations ... could limit long-term returns for investors, it is more likely than not that this cycle is only in its early stages and has plenty of time to run," Oppenheimer wrote.
The gauge also signals double-digit returns for the next five years. Even if the market's surge out of March is taken into account, Goldman expects the market to maintain a steady rally through the near future.
Shrinking premiums
Equity risk premium — the excess gains enjoyed by investors who hold stocks over a risk-free asset — has the potential to improve as the new economic cycle kicks off, Oppenheimer said. A larger premium was justified earlier in the pandemic amid uncertainties around growth and deflation risks.
A new cycle, featuring stable growth, inflation, and interest rates, stands to last as long as the previous expansion and lift stocks accordingly, the strategist said.
"If this is the case, and strong policy support is reducing the risks of another recession any time soon, then the ERP may well decline," he added. Such a drop could draw in more participants as market risk meets investors' appetites.
The Federal Reserve has repeatedly strayed from entertaining the possibility of negative interest rates. But policymakers expect near-zero rates to last through 2022, and such forecasts pushed real rates into negative territory.
Such an environment "is highly supportive to risk assets in an economic recovery," Oppenheimer said, as it drives more capital into stocks and away from low-yielding strategies. Goldman doesn't expect a "liftoff" for interest rates until early 2025, leaving plenty of time for negative real rates to aid equity valuations.
Hedging for inflation
Bonds have surged in recent months on support from historically low interest rates, the Fed's asset purchases, and fading inflation fears. Yields now sit at extreme lows, erasing much of bonds' appeal for hedging against inflation.
Though inflation isn't likely to leap for years, stocks now offer "a much more effective hedge against unexpected price increases," Oppenheimer said. Nominal sales are loosely linked to inflation growth, he added, leaving room for the S&P 500 to swing higher as price growth accelerates.
Even after recent sessions' stock market declines, valuations sit at historically high levels. Yet stocks look somewhat cheap considering their dividend yields haven't fallen as much as corporate bond yields. This gap is possibly "unfairly wide" and could drive new stock gains if investors rush to the steady returns, Oppenheimer wrote.
"If dividend yields continue to fall as investors increasingly search for defensive and predictable yield, then these stocks could re-rate further, driving broader equity indices higher," he added.
Boosting the tech revolution
From online shopping to telehealth trends, the pandemic pushed "rapid adjustment in the composition of the stock market" and how companies are adapting to the stay-at-home landscape, Oppenheimer said. The shift justifies investors' piling into tech giants, and Goldman expects the sector to keep leading the market higher as digitization trends surge forward.
"We think this transformation of the economy and stock markets has further to go," the equities head wrote. "These companies could continue to drive valuations and returns in this bull market."
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia tends to a lineswoman Laura Clark after inadvertently striking her with a ball hit in frustration during his Men's Singles fourth round match against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain on Day Seven of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 6, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City.
Al Bello/Getty Images
At the US Open on Saturday, Novak Djokovic hit a ball in frustration, inadvertently striking a line official in the neck.
The No. 1 seed Djokovic was booted from the Open and fined for unsportsmanlike conduct, forfeiting $267,500 in the process.
Tennis stars from John McEnroe to Serena Williams have been known for their fiery tempers and umpires have long the been the subjects of their ire.
Novak Djokovic's temper is costing him, big time. The tennis star was booted from the US Open on Saturday for accidentally hitting a line judge in the neck when he whacked a ball in frustration. The mistake cost him at least $267,500.
After going down 6-5 in the first set of his match against Carreno Busta, Djokovic hit a ball behind him without looking, striking tennis official Laura Clark in the throat. Clark yelped and fell to the ground and Djokovic, surprised, came to her aid.
Since the days of John McEnroe, tennis stars have been known for their fiery tempers. In 2017, Denis Shapovalov hit a chair umpire in the eye with a ball struck in anger. In 2009, Serena Williams was fined $82,500 for haranguing a line judge for calling a foot fault during the US Open, according to the Associated Press.
Following Saturday's incident, Djokovic lost his $250,000 tournament prize, and was fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $7,500 for missing a post-game press conference. He also missed out on the $3 million US Open grand prize, for which he was a strong contender as the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The ejection also broke Djokovic's stunning 29-match winning streak.
The US Open says that Clark is recovering from the incident in a hotel and is being seen by a doctor, according to The Daily Mail. However, online trolls have posted vicious remarks on the line judge's social media accounts, taunting her and even commenting on the tragic death of her son. Djokovic has asked his fans to be "supportive and caring toward her," as "she's done nothing wrong at all."
Still, there have been some bright spots. Restructuring lawyers have seen a surge in activity as clients looks to navigate the crisis, and firms with strong labor and employment practices are getting a boost as clients navigate cutting jobs and workplace safety issues.
And the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in July that the legal industry added 1,900 jobs since the past month, continuing an upward trend that may be indicative of the industry's growth and recovery.
We've been tracking hot practice areas, how revenues are shaping up for Big Law firms, and start dates for 2020 associate classes. Here's everything we know.
If you have any additional information for us, contact this reporter at csullivan@businessinsider.com, DM on Twitter @caseyreports, or Signal message at 646 376 6017.
Your morning cup of coffee, a few minutes gazing out the window, and a backyard full of colorful, singing birds happily visiting your bird feeders — what better way to start your day?
Taking up bird-watching as a hobby doesn't have to mean a trip to Borneo's mountain forests in hopes of adding the near-threatened Dulit frogmouth to a birding life list. It doesn't even have to mean knowing the difference between a house finch and a purple finch.
Bird-watching can be as simple as setting up a feeder in your backyard. Choosing a bird feeder, however, can be a bit confusing, as different types of feeders appeal to different types of birds. The same goes for birdseed, too. That's why we did the research for you and assembled this guide to the best bird feeders for a variety of common backyard birds. Check out the slides below to learn more about our favorite wild bird feeders and the different types of birds each attracts.
If you want to attract these flying jewels to your yard, you need a nectar feeder designed specifically for them, and hummingbirds love the Hummzinger Ultra Hummingbird Feeder.
Native to the Americas, there are around 300 species of hummingbird, although most reside in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Roughly 20 species make their way to North America on occasion, however, including the ruby-throated hummingbird, Costa's hummingbird, Anna's hummingbird, and black-chinned hummingbird.
These tiny birds are amazing works of nature. On average, their hearts beat 1,200 times per minute, they can fly as fast as 30 miles per hour, some migrate thousands of miles each year, and their wings flap up to 200 times per second, creating the humming or buzzing sound that gives them their name. They are also the only type of bird that can fly backward.
While hummers don't only feast on nectar — they also eat insects, pollen, and sap — sugary plant nectar is their primary source of energy. While they are quite adept at finding enough food in neighborhood flowers, they definitely appreciate a filled feeder, as well. And one of the best hummingbird feeders is the Hummzinger Ultra Hummingbird Feeder.
The great thing about this feeder is that unlike most other hummingbird feeders, it doesn't leak sticky sugar water onto the ground beneath. It's very easy to take apart for cleaning, which is crucial, as your tiny visitors can become sick if you let the feeder become moldy. Bees and wasps don't seem as attracted to it as many other hummingbird feeders. A small ant moat on top helps keep these pesky crawlers away.
Hang the Hummzinger from its included hook, or use a small dowel or pole (you'll have to supply your own) to mount it.
There's no need to purchase hummingbird food for this or any feeder. You make your own by mixing one part sugar with four parts water. No red food coloring is necessary. The Hummzinger holds up to 12 ounces of solution and has four ports where the hummers can perch while they drink.
Pros: Doesn't leak, very easy to clean, can be mounted on a pole
Cons: More expensive than some other feeders
The best platform bird feeder
Woodlink
Platform or tray bird feeders appeal to a wide range of common backyard birds, can be mounted close to the ground or hung up, and the Woodlink 3-in-1 Platform Bird Feeder is one of the best you'll find.
Use the included hanging wires and hook to suspend the Woodlink 3-in-1 Platform Bird Feeder from a branch, hook, or pole, fill it with a good general mix birdseed blend, and watch finches, redpolls, siskins, chickadees, jays, sparrows, titmice, and nuthatches come calling.
Or use the feeder's built-in "legs" to suspend it right above the ground, and you'll attract cardinals, juncos, doves, robins, and even northern flickers. You can also mount the feeder on a pole, but you will have to buy that separately.
This sturdy bird feeder is made of cedar, so it will last for years, even through rough weather. The bottom is a powder-coated metal screen that's fine enough to contain even very small seeds, but open enough to let dew or rain drain through.
Still, you'll need to clean the feeder regularly to remove spoiled seeds and bird droppings. Luckily, this feeder is a breeze to clean, and it holds up to three pounds of birdseed.
Pros: Very easy to clean and fill, attracts a wide variety of bird species, sturdy construction, multiple ways to use
Cons: Like all platform feeders, it's easy for squirrels to raid and birds tend to kick seed onto the ground underneath
Hoppers are a classic style of bird feeder that attracts a large variety of backyard birds, including finches, titmice, jays, grosbeaks, chickadees, buntings, blackbirds, cardinals, and sparrows.
Hopper bird feeders have an enclosed space for the seed, but are open near the bottom so seed can spill out into some sort of tray. Hoppers come in a lot of different shapes, but our favorite, the Perky-Pet Copper Panorama Bird Feeder, is round with a very attractive copper-finish metal top and bottom that won't rust or weather.
Fill the hopper with up to two pounds of birdseed, and watch the fun begin. Birds can easily perch on the thick wire ring while accessing their meal. Gravity dispenses seed into the tray, so your feathered friends can continue to eat until the food runs out; there's no waste, as there can be with some other types of bird feeders. The top locks into place to keep out moisture, but there are drainage holes in case of rain.
You'll need to take the feeder apart to clean it once a week or so. A few buyers complain that it's not the easiest bird feeder to clean, but that's typical of most hoppers. The feeder comes with a sturdy wire cable for hanging, so you can suspend it from a branch, a hanging hook, or a shepherd's hook pole.
Pros: Appeals to many types of birds, easy for birds to perch and eat, attractive appearance
Cons: Birds will spill seed underneath, can be a little difficult to clean
A window feeder lets you see small birds, including finches, sparrows, and chickadees, up close and personal. You don't actually need to have a backyard to enjoy backyard birding; as long as you have a window not covered by a screen, you can attach the Nature's Hangout Window Bird Feeder to the glass using its six powerful suction cups, add up to four cups of your favorite wild birdseed, and then sit back and wait for the show to begin.
You'll enjoy watching a wide variety of birds flock to your window feeder, and best of all, you'll be able to see them from just inches away. There's no need for binoculars to identify your feathered visitors!
The Nature's Hangout feeder is made of thick acrylic that won't yellow, weather, or crack, even in bad weather. There are drainage holes to keep seed from spoiling, although, of course, you'll need to take the feeder down every week or two for a thorough cleaning. But in between, the bottom tray slides out for easy disposal of leftover seed, shells, and bird droppings.
Pros: Suction cups have a lifetime guarantee — if the feeder falls down due to suction cup failure, the manufacturer will refund your money
Cons: Only good for easily accessible windows or glass doors not covered by a screen
One of the most glorious sights in the spring is a male American goldfinch decked out in his bright yellow, black, and white breeding plumage. These small songbirds are a common sight across most of the country and are always a treat to watch. As with other finches, they can't resist the tiny black nyjer seed. Nyjer is best fed out of a feeder specifically designed to dispense the small seeds, such as the excellent Stokes Select Little-Bit Finch Feeder.
With a powder-coated-metal top and bottom, and heavy plastic mesh in the middle, the feeder will last for years. The mesh sides make it easy for the birds to cling to the feeder while pecking out their food. The top unscrews for easy refilling and cleaning.
This isn't a very large bird feeder, which is actually a plus, as nyjer is expensive. Unless you routinely have large flocks of goldfinches visiting your yard, a small thistle feeder provides enough nourishment for a few birds a time without creating much waste. Moisture drains out of the sides and bottom, but you'll probably want to take the feeder down when heavy rains are in the forecast, as nyjer spoils fairly easily.
Pros: Easily dispenses seeds to goldfinches and other small birds, durable, easy to fill
Cons: This type of feeder attracts a smaller variety of birds than many other styles, so is best used in areas with plenty of goldfinches and related species
There are several different species of orioles found in North America. Two of the most common are the Baltimore oriole in the East and the Bullock's oriole in the West. What all share in common, besides beautiful orange, yellow, black, and white coloring, is a love of fruit — particularly oranges.
That's why the Songbird Essentials Ultimate Oriole Feeder has prongs to hold four orange slices at a time, along with small wells to fill with grape jelly, which is another oriole favorite. Plus, the feeder contains a small reservoir you can fill with nectar. You can use the same one part sugar/four parts water mixture you'd feed to hummingbirds.
The feeder is made of durable orange plastic to attract the birds. It's very easy to clean. Just wash it in hot, soapy water after your visitors finish their fruit.
Pros: Nicely designed to attract orioles to your yard
Cons: Only suited to one type of bird, which might not be in your area
Suet, a high-calorie mix of rendered fat, nuts, and other bird-appealing foods, is appreciated by many birds all year round, but particularly in the winter.
Some birders only put out their suet feeders in the winter, when migrating birds appreciate the extra calories, and birds that remain in the area year-round need a reliable food source. But as long as the temperatures aren't too high, you can set out suet cakes all year long in the Stokes Select Double Suet Bird Feeder.
The cage-like feeder holds two cakes of suet, doubling the number of birds that can feast on this nutty, tasty treat. The powder-coated metal won't rust or weather and the roof helps keep sun and moisture off the suet. The double-locking closure prevents the cakes from dropping out of the feeder and helps to keep out squirrels. It's easy to wash the feeder clean, which you'll need to do between refills of suet.
Pros: Holds two cakes of suet, durable design makes it easy for birds to cling while dining
Cons: None to speak of, but suet quickly becomes rancid if fed during high summer temperatures
The best squirrel-proof bird feeder
Squirrel Buster
While no bird feeder can 100% guarantee that squirrels won't break in and steal all the seed, the Squirrel Buster Standard Bird Feeder comes pretty darn close.
It's a fact of life: Squirrels love birdseed just as much as birds do, and they are willing to pull acrobatic feats worthy of a Cirque du Soleil performer to get to it. Just about every backyard birder has experienced the frustration of finding an empty bird feeder swinging in the breeze as the bushy-tailed thief beats a hasty retreat.
There are plenty of tricks you can try to keep the varmints out of the seed: Smear Vaseline on the pole, put baffles over the feeder, or string a Slinkee around the pole. Unfortunately, most don't work. And while many bird feeders claim to be squirrel-proof, few live up to their promises.
The Squirrel Buster Standard Bird Feeder, however, really does beat all but the brainiest or most persistent squirrels. It's basically a regular tube feeder with four ports near the bottom, but wow, squirrels will find this to be a tough nut to crack.
The Squirrel Buster is made from chew-proof metal and resin, but the real solution is the baffle that drops down and seals off the seed ports as soon as the squirrel's weight hits the feeder. It will also prevent large bully birds from scaring away smaller songbirds. Once the squirrel gives up and leaves, the feeder springs back open so your feathered friends can continue to dine.
The Squirrel Buster's design keeps seed fresh and lets moisture drain away, so you won't have too much trouble with spoiled food. It holds up to 1.3 pounds of seed.
Pros: As close to squirrel-proof as you can get.
Cons: Must be hung in a spot where squirrels can't simply reach over to grab the feeder while keeping their weight on a fence, tree, or other support. That means there must be at least 18 inches of clearance above, below, and to the sides of the product, forcing the squirrel to jump onto the feeder and trigger the baffle
Check out our other great guides for bird-watching
Bird feeders let you enjoy birding without having to leave your home, but to really bring in a wide variety of feathered visitors, you need to offer the right birdseed. We did the research for you and rounded up the favorite foods of several popular backyard birds.
Most species of birds enjoy a good bath and take them fairly frequently. Perhaps more importantly, a birdbath not only provides a convenient spot for cleaning feathers, it also provides an easy drink of water.
Birding is an activity that requires the use of binoculars. But for a great birdwatching experience, not any pair of binoculars would do. We've rounded up five great options for birders of all experience levels and budgets.
US equities tumbled on Tuesday as investors continued dumping tech stocks and buying safe-haven assets.
Tech giants including Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook dragged on major indexes, while Treasurys and the dollar gained.
Investors also digested President Trump's plan to end US's reliance on Chinese exports. The statement threatens to reignite the US-China trade war after weeks of relative calm.
Oil slumped below $40 on fresh warnings of demand weakness. West Texas Intermediate crude sank as much as 7.1%, to $36.96 per barrel.
US stocks sank on Tuesday as investors continued to dump highly valued tech giants. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index dropped more than 3%.
Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook slumped along with top work-from-home plays including Zoom Video and Docusign. Treasurys and the US dollar gained as traders shifted cash to safe havens.
Tesla slid after the firm was excluded from the S&P 500's latest portfolio rebalancing. The company met the criteria necessary for joining the benchmark, but S&P Dow Jones Indices instead added Etsy, Teradyne, and Catalent to the index.
Elon Musk's firm tumbled further after General Motors announced a stake in rival electric-vehicle manufacturer Nikola Motors. Nikola surged on news of the deal.
Investors also mulled new threats to the fragile US-China trade relationship. President Donald Trump said Monday he plans to end the country's reliance on China and its factories. Trump also threatened to punish companies that create jobs outside the US and prevent companies operating in China from winning government contracts.
Disney outperformed the broad market decline after Deutsche Bank upgraded shares to "buy" from "hold." The bank's analysts said Disney succeeded in launching its streaming service and is on its way to becoming a global leader in the lucrative sector.
Spot gold fell as much as 1.3%, barely staying above the $1,900-per-ounce threshold, after failing to retake $2,000 at the start of the month.
Oil slid below $40 per barrel after oil giants continued to slash prices on demand weakness. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped as much as 7.1%, to $36.96 per barrel. Brent crude, oil's international benchmark, dropped 4.7%, to $40.05 per barrel, at intraday lows.
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There's honestly nothing more satisfying than a good poop. On the flip side, a bad poop can ruin your day. You know what I'm talking about. Too hard, too soft, too sudden, not soon enough. If this isn't ringing any bells, congrats on being the world's only perfect pooper! A title to wear with pride.
For the rest of us, we have to work at it. The good news is we have science on our side. There are a bunch of things we can do to smooth out the kinks in our digestive system, and some of them are very literal. But real quick, let us introduce you to the Bristol stool scale, a handy-dandy chart listing the different types of poop your body can make. They range from type one, hard lumps, to type seven, totally liquid. When it comes to No. 2, you actually want to be a type three or four. Anything before indicates constipation; anything after gets closer to diarrhea. Depending on where you land on the scale, there are a number of things you can do to get that coveted smooth snake. Let's start with short-term solutions. [mooing] Mooing like a cow, or making a similar noise if you aren't feeling particularly bovine, can help reduce straining. You'll want to lean forward with your elbows on your knees while you do it. The idea is to open up your belly and get yourself in a more efficient pooping position.
You see, sitting toilets were designed all wrong. Sitting straight up with your feet planted on the ground actually makes it harder to squeeze one out. Too much straining and pushing can lead to hemorrhoids, most of all, but sometimes even prolapse. Thanks to how our bodies are built, we're better off in a squat. It's all in the gut. Look at the angle of her rectum when she stands up. It's bent at about 80 degrees right where it meets the anal canal, fittingly named the anorectal angle. Sort of like kinking a hose, this bend helps you control your bowels, along with the muscles in the same area.
When you sit, that angle unfolds to about 100 degrees, and squatting opens it even further. Opening up that pathway makes it easier for stuff to slide on through. But even though our porcelain thrones aren't suited for squatting, there are ways to adapt. You can throw your feet up on a stool or even just a couple of rolls of toilet paper. Or the dedicated can buy a product specifically made for this purpose, like the Squatty Potty or Nature's Platform. One study followed over 50 healthy poopers through 1,000 collective bowel movements using the Squatty Potty. The experiment started with a two-week control period of unassisted pooping.
Then, participants spent another two weeks using the Squatty Potty. 90% of the participants strained less, and over 70% spent less time on the toilet. Speaking of, we are very sorry, but put down your phone. Even you, person who's watching this on the can right now. Taking your phone or a book to the bathroom just encourages you to stay in there longer, which, again, leads back to straining and putting excess pressure on your rectum and anus. Getting up off the toilet can help you in more ways than one.
Generally the more you move, the more you poop. Exercising can jostle around your innards, helping shake up food, gas, and waste to move through your system. That means less time for your lower intestine to absorb water from your stool. And wet, soft poops are easier to pass. So going for a quick jog could be helpful if you're constipated. Not so much if you have diarrhea. What you eat can also help. Yep, we're talking fiber. Fiber is helpful no matter which end of the stool scale you're on, but not all fiber is created equal.
There are actually two main types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, turning gooey and spongy. It comes from things like fruit flesh, root vegetables, and cooked grains. This stuff takes its time sliding through your digestive track, which helps regulate movements. You want to start introducing this type of fiber to your diet if you're hovering around a type six or seven. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, mostly keeps its shape when wet. This fiber from fruit skins, leafy greens, and the outer layer of most whole grains adds to the bulk of the stool. It puts pressure on your colon walls and stimulates movement. So this is what you're looking for to fix a type one or two, but you don't want to load up on either fiber all at once.
First, you want to suss out if fiber is really your issue at all. If you normally eat plenty of insoluble fiber but you're still constipated, then more probably isn't gonna help. And too much fiber too quickly can make you bloated or gassy. When in doubt, go see your doctor. They might recommend probiotics, which can help reduce bloating and gas as well as constipation. When you first start taking them, you might end up in type six or seven territory for a few days, but that should go away. And if adding stuff to your diet doesn't help, maybe try taking stuff away. Dairy, caffeine, meats, spicy foods, alcohol, grease, certain fruits, and artificial sweeteners have all been known to cause diarrhea. Cutting all or some of that stuff could help relieve those bowel-control issues.
Keeping a food diary to find connections between snacks and symptoms is also recommended, and that way you don't have to give up on all the good stuff at once. If you're not the world's only perfect pooper, taking the perfect poop isn't always easy. But it should never be as hard as a type one. With these tips and tricks in your back pocket, you are well on your way to the throne. Now go eat, drink, and jog your way to the best poop of your life. You earned it, champ.
Everybody deserves a perfect poo, but always make sure to check with your doctor before you make significant changes to your diet or lifestyle. But you could probably moo all you want without a doctor's note. And subscribe below if you want more ways to optimize your life with science.
The prime rate, aka the prime lending rate or simply the prime, is the interest rate that banks charge their biggest, most creditworthy corporate customers, along with very high net worth individuals. Think blue-chip stock companies or the likes of Warren Buffett.
But while the prime does not directly affect most consumers, it does provide the benchmark for many consumer and small business loans. It also affects other types of everyday debt, like credit cards, mortgages, and home equity lines of credit.
What is the prime rate?
The prime rate is an interest rate charged on loans. Much like any other interest rate, the prime exists to cover costs and losses associated with financing. It acts as the compensation for the multiple risks banks expose themselves to when extending credit to clients.
Only stable businesses with the highest credit ratings qualify for this prime interest rate, as they are the ones that pose the least risk of defaulting on their loans. As the name "prime" implies, it tends to be the best — that is, the lowest — interest rate the financial institution charges.
Although it's a variable, or floating, interest rate, the prime does not change at regular intervals. Rather, banks adjust it according to the shifts in the economy and the business cycle. The prime may not change for years. Or it can potentially change several times within one year especially in economically turbulent times.
Who determines the prime rate?
The prime rate is not set by the government. But it does closely follow another interest rate, which is set by the Federal Reserve: the federal funds rate.
The Fed sets and adjusts the federal funds rate to keep the US economy on an even keel between recession and over-expansion. When the economy slows down, the rate is lowered to spur economic growth. When the economy grows too fast, the rate gets raised to try and stave off inflation.
Commercial banks use the federal funds rate when charging each other for overnight loans. In turn, these banks use the same rate as the starting point in setting the prime rate for their best-qualified clients.
Commercial banks generally adjust the prime rate roughly three percentage points above the federal funds rate. However, some banks set their lending rates up to five percentage points higher.
What is The Wall Street Journal prime rate?
There actually is no single prime rate; each bank or financial institution sets its own, based on its own lending criteria. When you see a reference to "the prime rate," it usually reflects an average rate across financial institutions.
The most commonly cited average — the "official source," so to speak — comes from The Wall Street Journal, which regularly surveys 30 of the largest US banks and publishes a consensus prime based on their rates. The Journal reports this average prime rate daily, whether there are changes to it or not. It alters when three-quarters of these financial institutions adjust their rates.
What is the prime rate today?
As of this writing, the Journal's published average prime rate is 3.25%. It has been at 3.25% since March 15, 2020.
How does the prime rate affect you?
Only the largest, most stable corporations with sterling credit scores generally qualify for the prime rate. But there's a ripple effect. Personal loans, small business loans, credit cards, and mortgages all carry interest rates that are based on or tied to the prime rate.
If you take out a fixed-rate loan, it'll be based on what the prime currently is. If you have variable-rate debt, it'll fluctuate along with the prime.
In addition, fluctuations in the prime rate can reflect how tough or relaxed lenders' financing standards and requirements are. When the prime rate is low, it's easier to get a loan. When the prime rate is high, it often makes borrowing a lot more challenging.
What things does the prime rate affect?
Here's how the prime rate affects different types of everyday debt and loans. Do take note that this is general information; a variety of other factors affect your interest rate. Your interest rate can go higher or lower based on the Prime Rate, plus your credit score, your risk profile, your type of loan, your location, and the length of time it will take you to repay.
Credit Cards
Most credit cards have variable interest rates set several percentage points above the prime: "prime plus 13.99%". As the prime rate changes, you will see the increase or the decrease in your card's annual percentage yield within a billing cycle or two.
Mortgages
The prime most directly affects adjustable-rate mortgages. As it fluctuates, so should your adjustable rate at the annual reset. The impact is greatest on shorter-term loans; if you have a 30-year mortgage, it might not move much when the prime decreases. But you may still take advantage by opting to refinance your mortgage at a lower rate instead.
Auto Loans
Auto loans closely track the prime, especially if car dealers are hungry for business. For example, with the current prime at 3.25%, a five-year auto loan is averaging 4.24% for a new vehicle; for a used car, around 5.08%.
The Financial Takeaway
Just as the federal funds rate serves as the basis for the Prime, the Prime serves as the starting point for most consumer banking products. While individuals rarely receive the prime, their personal and small business loans, credit card rates, and mortgages reflect the prime rate. If their interest rates are variable, they'll shift according to changes in the prime rate.
Although it is not an official interest rate — or even a single interest rate — the prime rate acts as a sort of harbinger for the state of the economy, reflecting how easy it is to borrow, whether the government is encouraging or discouraging spending, and how confident banks feel about loaning money.
Home Depot cofounder Arthur Blank said it's time for retailers to "look to 2021."
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The coronavirus pandemic has been rough on the retail industry.
Business Insider interviewed Home Depot cofounder Arthur Blank about his thoughts on the current state of the industry.
He said that retailers should "be sensitive" to the needs of store workers during this time.
"On balance, it's been a year we all want to forget," Blank said.
That being said, the Home Depot cofounder said innovations like widespread outdoor dining and the prioritization of e-commerce may be "worth applying in the future."
The year 2020 has been a rough one for many retailers. Hampered by store closures and declining sales, plenty of companies have filed for bankruptcy during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, retail workers have struggled to balance jobs on the frontlines with protecting themselves and their families.
Home Depot cofounder Arthur Blank recently spoke with Business Insider about his new book, "Good Company" and the impact of COVID-19 on the retail industry. Today Blank is best known for owning the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS's Atlanta United. Blank also maintains a presence in the retail world, running a number of PGA TOUR Superstores, as well as two Montana guest ranches.
Blank stressed the importance of supporting store employees and embracing COVID-19-related innovations that benefit customers, including the emphasis on e-commerce sales and dining al fresco.
"What I tell myself — and all of our businesses — is that this is a period of time where we have to survive," Blank told Business Insider. "We've got to take care of the customers as best we can, or our fans or our guests, whatever it may be."
Blank told Business Insider that, despite the tough times, retailers must continue to support store employees. In his view, store workers are most businesses' "biggest asset."
"That means supporting them during a difficult period of time financially and every way that we can," he said. "Be sensitive to their family situations, some have people at home who are aged, sick, or children they can't get childcare for."
In addition to shoring up support for employees, retailers can "look to 2021." The pandemic can serve the retail industry by inspiring positive, customer-pleasing changes, Blank said. His aforementioned PGA TOUR Superstores have seen around a 150% surge in e-commerce business.
"On balance, it's been a year we all want to forget, but there are a lot of things that are happening during 2020, some learnings that are worth applying in the future," Blank said.
For example, the Home Depot cofounder and Queens native said that Manhattan looked "more like a European city" during a recent visit because so many restaurants were seating diners out on the sidewalk.
"There's more connection that way," Blank said. "That would be a nice thing in the future, for these same shop and same restaurant owners to do three quarters of the year in Manhattan when the weather's nice. That's a way they can expand their business."
I have a lot of hair, and it usually takes five to six hours to air dry completely.
Rather than aggressively dry it with a bath towel, risking hair breakage and frizziness, I wrap it up in the Volo Hero Hair Towel ($39).
It's a large towel that absorbs 10 times its weight in water and cuts my hair-drying time in half. Because it's made from soft and plush microfiber, it doesn't damage my hair.
As my hairstylist likes to remind me with an astonished voice every time she grabs a handful of my hair, I have a lot of hair. I know it, she knows it, and my poor roommate who has to deal with blocked shower drains and a floor perpetually covered in a layer of long brown hair knows it.
It takes about five to six hours for my hair to completely air dry after a shower, and I would often go to bed with still-damp hair. A $39 towel that I've been using for the last six months has cut that time in half.
Volo Beauty's Hero Hair Towel will seriously be the hero of your post-shower routine if you have thick hair. The towel is made from soft microfiber that's gentle on your hair but is also very absorbent — it absorbs 10 times its weight in water.
The towel is a large rectangle measuring 39.4 inches x 23.5 inches, which is a generous size that should accommodate most head sizes and hair lengths. Wrap your hair into it, twist it, and tuck the end into the stretchy loop in the back.
It holds my hair securely, even if I shake my head around or bend over. I often put my hair up, then do other tasks such as brush my teeth or make a meal, so it's important that my hair doesn't get in the way.
I don't usually leave my hair in the towel for too long — maybe half an hour, maximum — but even this short amount of time has made a significant difference in drying time. When I take my hair out of the Volo towel, it feels like it had been out in the air drying for three hours already.
Since the towel is so soft and plush, my hair doesn't come out frizzy. Traditional bath towels can be too rough, tugging at and breaking your hair and ruining all the hard work your conditioner just put in during your shower. The Volo towel, on the other hand, absorbs water and dries my hair efficiently without damaging it.
All this means I spend less time drying my hair and my hair is less damaged. The payoff of making it to bed or to an event with smooth, dry hair every time is well worth the $39 upfront cost.
You might not know what a microaggression is, but you've probably heard at least one before. Chances are, you might have said or done one, too.
A 2019 survey by Glassdoor of 1,100 US employees found that 61% of US employees had witnessed or experienced workplace discrimination based on age, race, gender, or LGBTQ identity.
Microaggressions are unconscious expressions of racism, sexism, or other problematic beliefs. They come out in seemingly innocuous comments or actions by people who might be well-intentioned.
Think of asking a person of color where they're really from, commenting on a Black colleague's hair, or the "universal phenomenon" of men interrupting women.
Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about race, ethnicity, gender, weight, religion, and many other characteristics. So while you might believe yourself to be totally rid of problematic opinions, there might come a time where you accidentally say a microaggression.
Here's how to apologize for saying an offensive comment in the workplace.
Say sorry as soon as possible
As soon as you recognize that whatever came out of your mouth was problematic, apologize right away, said Joan Williams, University of California, Hastings College of the Law distinguished professor.
Williams advised saying the following: "Wow, I just heard what I said. I apologize."
Don't say "Sorry I offended you"
"I'm sorry that I offended you, but that wasn't my intent."
Apologizing for offending someone is an attempt to validate your own comment by implying that the other person just reacted poorly, Rivera told Business Insider.
It's also a way to brush off any allegations that you did something wrong.
Instead, recognize the implicit bias in your remark
"The apology should be earnest and include an awareness that you engaged in microaggressive behavior," Rivera told Business Insider.
So, if you realize you made a blunder by complimenting a non-white coworker who was born in America on their English skills, you can try: "I'm sorry for what I just said. That was totally out of line, and based off the false impression that you were not born in America. My apologies again."
Move on
There's no need to continue to dwell on it right after you've said it, especially if it's in front of other people, Williams said.
But you may want to follow up later with the person with an additional apology if it seems appropriate.
Keep educating yourself
Rivera said the best way to move on from saying a microaggression is to have "open communication about diversity and inclusion."
Apple CEO Tim Cook speak to the press during a tour of the Flextronics computer manufacturing facility, with US President Donald Trump, where Apple's Mac Pros are assembled in Austin, Texas, on November 20, 2019.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Apple fell as much as 6% on Tuesday, the same day Goldman Sachs doubled down on its "sell" rating for the iPhone maker.
Goldman said in a note that while Apple has rallied more than 70% since it turned bearish in April, shares could still fall 34% to its $80 price target.
Goldman said it would get more positive on Apple if it can consistently beats earnings expectations like its mega-cap peers Microsoft and Amazon.
Apple continued its three-day losing streak on Tuesday, the same day Goldman Sachs doubled down on its "sell" rating for the Cupertino-based iPhone maker.
Shares of Apple were down as much as 6% in Tuesday trades, and are down more than 11% since the selling began last Thursday.
Goldman admits that its downgrade of Apple to "sell" in April "hasn't worked," with shares rallying more than 70% since that call.
But Goldman is standing by its bearish view that Apple can plummet 34% from Friday's close to $80.
For Goldman, the iPhone is a "very tough act to follow," and Services and Wearables will not grow large enough to return the company to growth. Therefore, it's still all about the iPhone for Apple.
Goldman emphasized that it's not a "permanent" bear on Apple, and in order to get more constructive on shares, it wants to see the company consistently beat analyst expectations in upcoming earnings reports, like its mega-cap peers Microsoft and Amazon.
"To be more positive, we simply would like to see a consistent string of beat and raise quarters from Apple that match the growth narrative," Goldman said.
The firm warned that another tech company that had a strong growth narrative but didn't deliver on the expected numbers was Intel. Intel's data chip growth story was supposed to make up for the declining sale of PCs in the early 2010s.
But when Intel was unable to deliver the results associated with that growth story, its stock underperformed the semiconductors index by more than 470% since 2012.
"We are not saying Intel and Apple are in any way the same company, but the disconnect between the narrative and the numbers is similar," Goldman explained.
Finally, Goldman highlighted that since 2018, analyst revenue and profit estimates for Apple's 2021 fiscal year have been steadily on the decline, even as its stock more than doubled. What's behind the surge in shares?
According to Goldman, it likely is in part driven by an increase in retail trading activity. In August, Apple ranked third for small-size stock transaction volumes.
"We believe that Apple's recent stock split is also a nod in the direction of retail investors, who have historically reacted positively to the lower absolute share price," the note said.
Starbucks announced it would begin adding pumpkin puree to its iconic pumpkin spice latte in 2015.
onajourney/Shutterstock
For Starbucks customers, the last ten years have meant many new ways to enjoy their morning coffee.
From a focus on "Instagrammable" drinks that go viral to more sustainable initiatives such as strawless lids, Starbucks drinks have undergone quite a few changes as the company strives to reach billions of consumers worldwide.
The Pink Drink, Starbucks Refreshers, and Teavana tea drinks were all added to Starbucks menus in the 2010s.
Today, Starbucks is adding more plant-based drinks and food items to its menu.
It may be hard for some Starbucks coffee drinkers to imagine a time without Cold Brew, almond milk, or Starbucks K-Cups.
Yet, at one time, these menu items and products were brand new.
After the cult-like following of the "Starbucks secret menu," some of its items have even begun showing up on the official Starbucks menu, such as Pink Drink.
Year after year, the brand is also leaning into the "Instagramable" quality of colorful and vibrant drinks, which can quickly go viral on social media. Today, Starbucks is adding more non-dairy drinks and food items to its menu to appeal to a wider net of customers and changing tastes.
Here's how Starbucks drinks have changed and evolved over the last ten years.
Starbucks' first location opened on March 30, 1971.
The Starbucks sign is seen on the window of the first Starbucks coffee shop.
Epics/Getty Images
What started as a simple menu with brewed coffee and espresso drinks has since grown into a global phenomenon complete with Frappuccinos, pumpkin spice lattes, an expanding menu of plant-based options, and more.
However, while the chain has certainly grown over the last 50 years, the last decade has exhibited some of Starbucks' biggest changes.
In 2010, Starbucks introduced its However-You-Want-It Frappuccino.
Starbucks Frappuccino.
Hollis Johnson
Starbucks released its first Frappuccino in 1995, but it wasn't until 2010 that customers could easily customize their frozen beverage with their choice of milk, coffee type, syrups, and toppings. As syrups didn't cost extra to add to the drinks, analysts at the time reported that the new customizable option was warding off competition from McDonald's, who had released their own less expensive frozen Frappe drinks.
"The free additions make the drinks seem like a better deal," Tom Forte, a restaurant analyst with New York-based Telsey Advisory Group, told Bloomberg in 2010.
By allowing customers to create their own Frappuccino drinks, Starbucks also inadvertently allowed customers to begin ordering "secret menu" versions of the popular blended drink, such as the fan-created, Harry Potter-inspired Butterbeer Frappuccino or the Cadbury Cream Egg Frappuccino.
Starbucks told Business Insider that customers can now customize beverages in more than 170,000 different ways.
In, 2011 Starbucks allowed customers to bring their favorite brews home with the launch of Starbucks K-Cup packs.
Starbucks K-Cup packs.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
In November 2011, Starbucks customers could begin purchasing Starbucks K-Cups for single-serve home-brewing. The product's release followed the global success of the company's VIA Ready Brew line, which surpassed $200 million in sales in its first year on the market.
K-Cups grew immensely in popularity between the years 2011 and 2015. In 2015, Forbes reported that a study conducted by the National Coffee Association showed that 25% of American coffee drinkers used single-serving coffee machines, and Starbucks brand K-cups owned 15% of the market.
In 2011, the brand also redesigned its logo to be more minimal.
Starbucks' new logo.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Starbucks drinks got a makeover when the company's cups were rebranded with a new logo. Changes to the logo included removing the "Starbucks Coffee" company name and simplifying the color scheme to green and white.
In 2012, Starbucks acquired Teavana and began selling tea in its locations.
Starbucks Teavana tea.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Starbucks purchased tea chain Teavana for $620 million in an acquisition move that attempted to gain access to the "rapidly growing $40 billion global tea category," according to a Starbucks press release from 2012.
Starbucks Handcrafted Refreshers entered Starbucks locations in 2012.
Starbucks Refresher.
Starbucks
Marketed as a low-calorie beverage with a natural source of energy, Handcrafted Refreshers were made with fresh fruit. The beverage was also made available as powdered VIA Refreshers instant beverages and in cans as Starbucks Ready-to-Drink Refreshers. Starbucks has continued to sell Refreshers in the past few years, with a continued focus on "healthier" beverage options.
In 2014, Teavana Shaken Iced Teas and Teavana Hot Brewed Tea arrived in stores.
Starbucks Teavana Shaken Iced Teas.
Starbucks launched its Cold Brew iced coffee in 2015.
Starbucks Cold Brew.
Starbucks
Starbucks released its Cold Brew in the summer of 2015, and it's been a popular menu item ever since. Starbucks Cold Brew is unsweetened, but the process of brewing reportedly makes for a "naturally sweet, smooth" iced coffee flavor.
Forbes reports that sales of cold brew nationwide rose 25% following the release of Starbucks' Cold Brew.
Evolution Fresh cold-pressed juices and smoothies entered Starbucks stores in 2016 after the company was acquired in 2011.
Evolution Fresh juices and smoothies.
Starbucks
An initiative to promote healthier options and turn away from Starbucks' coffee-centric branding led to a partnership with juice brand Evolution Fresh. With a desire to enter into the, at the time, $50 billion health and wellness sector, Starbucks purchased the juice company for $30 million.
In 2015, Starbucks announced it would begin adding pumpkin puree to its iconic pumpkin spice latte and remove all artificial colors.
A sign advertising Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte.
Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock
The Pumpkin Spice Latte, Starbucks' most popular seasonal menu item according to a press release, debuted in 2003 and sold more than 200 million between its launch and 2013. Two years later, Starbucks began adding real pumpkin puree to the fall drink, as it had previously used pumpkin spices. The company also removed caramel coloring from the pumpkin-flavored syrup used to make Pumpkin Spice Lattes.
Starbucks also launched a nationwide rollout of coconut milk in its locations.
Coconut Milk on a Starbucks cup.
Starbucks
In its first alternative to dairy and soy milk, Starbucks began using coconut milk in its stores. The company touted in its press release at the time that coconut milk was the best non-dairy alternative for Starbucks beverages, "without the same allergen challenges present in almond milk."
However, in 2016, Starbucks gave its customers the option to order drinks with almond milk in a greater push towards more non-dairy milk alternatives.
Following the success of its original Cold Brew, Starbucks launched Nitro Cold Brew in 2016.
Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew.
Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star/Getty Images
Starbucks' Nitro Cold Brew promised to be smoother and creamier due to the infusion of nitrogen into the coffee. In 2018, as Frappuccino sales were declining, the new cold beverage was rising in popularity, especially among younger male millennials, according to Forbes. Restaurant Business also reported that since its release in 2016, Nitro Cold Brew has generated "strong sales" for the company, as did the 2019 release of the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.
In 2017, the Pink Drink — a far cry from the espresso-based drinks of Starbucks' early days — took over the internet.
Starbucks Pink Drink.
Starbucks
If one Starbucks drink holds the title of the most viral Starbucks drink of the decade, it would be the Pink Drink. The drink is made with Strawberry Acai Refreshers with flavors of passion fruit and acai, coconut milk, and topped with strawberries.
With the introduction of the Pink Drink, customers were choosing to order the beverage with non-dairy milk options. The original drink recipe comes with coconut milk instead of water or dairy milk.
Another "Instagrammable" drink that drove sales in 2017 was the Unicorn Frappuccino.
Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino.
Starbucks
Market Watch reported at the time that Starbucks executives claimed the drink was an "Instagrammable success" that "drove significant traffic" to stores nationwide.
The colorful and flavor-changing drink quickly sold out in stores across the country, according to CNBC. The Unicorn Frappuccino was only made available for five days, creating a large stir online as customers flocked to Starbucks locations to try it out.
In 2018, the look of Starbucks drinks changed drastically with the introduction of strawless lids.
Starbucks strawless lids.
Blonde Espresso, a lighter version of the brand's signature espresso, debuted in 2018, six years after the release of the Blonde Roast blend for drip coffee.
Blonde Espresso at Starbucks.
Starbucks
After the successful release of the Blonde Roast in 2012, the new addition to Starbucks' menu allowed customers to customize their beverage with a slightly more subtle, sweet-tasting espresso. However, the new espresso option was released to not much fanfare.
"I don't think [lighter roasts] work so great in milk-based drinks because they lose their taste," Chris Vigilante, founder of Vigilante Coffee Company, told the Washington Post at the time.
Starbucks released a line of cold foam beverages in April 2018.
Starbucks cold foam.
Starbucks
Instead of hot steamed foam, cold foam is made by blending nonfat milk until it is smooth and frothy. The frothed milk is then topped on top of cold brew, iced Blonde Cappuccinos, and other cold Starbucks beverages.
The Cloud Macchiato marked Starbucks' first celebrity collaboration, with pop star Ariana Grande.
Starbucks Cloud Macchiato.
Starbucks
While celebrities have perhaps been known to carry Starbucks cups as accessories throughout the years, the Cloud Macchiato marked the first time in which the coffee company worked with a celebrity endorser. While the drink built off popular Starbucks drinks of years past — the Caramel Macchiato and Cinnamon Almond milk Macchiato, to name a few — the drink used a new method of creating a meringue-like foam on the top of the drink using powdered egg whites.
The company received light backlash online, however, when customers complained that although Grande herself is vegan, the drink she promoted with Starbucks cannot be made vegan due to the use of egg white powder to make the signature "cloud foam." However, the drink can be made with non-dairy milk alternatives and the company never claimed that the drink was vegan.
As part of the chain's summer menu in 2019, Starbucks released a number of items including the new Dragon Drink and Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers.
Starbucks Dragon Drink.
Starbucks
In an effort to capitalize on Instagram-worthy food trends and products, Starbucks released a colorful duo of summer drinks in 2019. In a press release, the company stated that "these Starbucks Refreshers beverages will add a pop of color to your cup (and social media feed) this summer and all year long." The vibrant drinks are just one example of how Starbucks is encouraging social media users to drive the popularity and sales of its latest beverages.
Starbucks also brought back popular "fan-favorite" Frappuccino blends including the S'mores Frappuccino, Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino, and the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino.
In 2019, Starbucks released an updated version of its popular Pumpkin Spice Latte — the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.
Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.
Kate Taylor/Business Insider
Released in response to high numbers of cold coffee orders — Starbucks reports that half of all beverage orders are for cold beverages, up from 37% in 2013 — the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew was the first new pumpkin-flavored coffee beverage to join the Starbucks menu in 16 years. The fall menu was also released on its earliest date in Starbucks history, August 27.
Following the success of the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Starbucks also released an iced winter-inspired drink, the Irish Cream Cold Brew.
Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew.
Starbucks
This seemingly paradoxical drink is the first cold drink to be added to the chain's holiday menu. While it might sound strange to introduce a cold drink in the winter season, following the success of the pumpkin cream cold brew, it might not be so surprising. Nevertheless, it's a big change from the warm Peppermint Mochas and Eggnog Lattes of years past.
Starbucks is seemingly turning its focus towards more plant-powered drinks featuring non-dairy milk alternatives.
Starbucks Almondmilk Honey Flat White.
Courtesy of Starbucks
In January, the coffee chain announced the arrival of two new drinks centered around two of the brand's non-dairy milk options: the Almondmilk Honey Flat White and the Coconutmilk Latte. The chain also announced that it would be expanding how many stores would carry Oatmilk.
This summer, two new plant-based drinks were added to Starbucks' menu: the Star Drink and the Iced Guava Passionfruit, which both feature coconut milk.
Another addition to Starbucks' summer menu was the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich, a vegetarian version of its sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich.
Boeing said that the latest 787 issue involves the way in which parts are held together when the horizontal stabilizer — the part of the tail that lies parallel to the wings — is constructed.
Robert Sorbo/Reuters
The FAA is investigating after Boeing found numerous quality control problems on its 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Major new safety concerns with Boeing's popular 787 Dreamliner are poised to create the latest in a series of headaches for the planemaker, as it moves closer to putting the 737 Max crisis to rest.
The company found a manufacturing problem affecting the horizontal stabilizer on the 787, it said Tuesday. Production issues have slowed deliveries of the aircraft, the Wall Street Journal and CNBC first reported.
The news came just one day after reports from the Wall Street Journal that the company had grounded eight 787s over different production issues.
Boeing said that the latest issue involves the way in which parts are held together when the horizontal stabilizer — the part of the tail that lies parallel to the wings — is constructed. The issue only affects undelivered jets, and was found earlier in 2020, the Journal reported. The company said it had informed the FAA, according to the Journal.
The production problem that led to the eight groundings involves quality control lapses at the company's North Charleston, South Carolina factory, one of two facilities assembling the Dreamliner. Sections of the plane's rear fuselage did not meet engineering standards due to inadequate spacing, the Journal reported, an issue going back potentially as far as a decade.
Airlines with affected planes include United, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, Air Europa Lineas Aereas, Norwegian, Etihad, and All Nippon Airways, according to the Journal.
The FAA said it was investigating the issue, and that it was too soon to say whether it would issue an airworthiness directive, an order that could lead to costly mandated inspections on hundreds of jets.
"It is too early to speculate about the nature or extent of any proposed airworthiness directives that might arise," an FAA spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement.
As of late August, Boeing had an unfilled order backlog of 526 Dreamliners.
"We are taking time to thoroughly inspect completed 787s to ensure that they are free of the issues and meet all engineering specifications prior to delivery," Boeing said in a statement. "We expect these inspections to affect the timing of 787 deliveries in the near-term."
The new concerns come as Boeing moves into the final stages of recertifying the troubled 737 Max for flight service. Boeing has not delivered any of the plane since it was grounded in March 2019, a severe blow to the company's finances. It has roughly 450 completed planes in storage.
These acute problems are playing out against the backdrop of the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has decimated air travel demand around the world. While airlines in the US and globally have seen modest recovery in domestic and regional demand, long-haul international travel — for which the 787 Dreamliner was designed — remains largely curtailed.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Donald Trump accused military leaders of fighting endless wars to satisfy defense companies during a press conference on Monday.
On Tuesday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, the Army's most senior officer, defended military leaders, saying that the brass takes the decision to send troops to war "very seriously."
"Many of these leaders have sons and daughters that serve in the military, many of these leaders have sons and daughters who have gone to combat or may be in combat right now," he said, while refusing to comment directly on the president's remarks.
After President Donald Trump said Monday that military leaders in the Pentagon "want to do nothing but fight wars" to line the pockets of defense firms, the Army's top officer said Tuesday that senior military leaders recommend sending US troops to war only as a "last resort."
"I'm not saying the military is in love with me. The soldiers are," Trump said during a Labor Day press conference. "The top people in the Pentagon probably aren't because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy."
"But, we're getting out of endless wars," he said.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tried to clarify the president's comments Tuesday morning, arguing that Trump was not criticizing any specific military leader, but was instead criticizing the "military industrial complex."
While Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville did not comment on the president's remarks, stressing the need for the military to stay out of politics, he did defend military leaders Tuesday, saying they take the decision to send service members to war "very, very seriously."
"Many of these leaders have sons and daughters that serve in the military, many of these leaders have sons and daughters who have gone to combat or may be in combat right now," he said during a forum hosted by Defense One, Reuters reported.
"I can assure the American people that the senior leaders would only recommend sending our troops to combat when it is required in national security and in the last resort," he added. "We take this very, very seriously in how we make our recommendations."
Trump's remarks Monday followed an explosive report last week from The Atlantic that said the president spoke disparagingly about US service members who died in battle, those who were captured and held as prisoners of war, or who suffered injuries in combat.
The report, citing anonymous sources, said that the president canceled his planned 2018 visit to a Paris cemetery because he felt it was unnecessary to honor those who fell in battle, service members he reportedly characterized as "losers" and "suckers."
Aspects of the reporting were confirmed by Fox News, CNN, and other outlets, but the White House has repeatedly denied the report published in The Atlantic.
One White House official calling it "just another anonymously sourced story meant to tear down a Commander-in-Chief who loves our military and has delivered on the promises he's made."
Fresh stimulus, renewed hiring activity, and healthy inflation will usher in a full US GDP recovery two quarters sooner than previously expected, Morgan Stanley economists said in a Monday note.
The bank expects lawmakers to pass a new relief package in September with between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion in fiscal aid.
Such a bill would lead GDP to return to pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of 2021, the team led by Ellen Zentner wrote.
Still, a new stimulus package faces roadblocks as Democrats and Republicans spar over the bill's facets and overall size.
Morgan Stanley economists raised their forecast for US gross domestic product on Monday, hinging their increasingly bullish outlook on fresh stimulus from Congress.
The bank's policy strategists expect lawmakers to pass a new spending package in September with between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion in new aid. The forecasted stimulus, when coupled with the faster-than-expected pace of economic recovery, can bring the country's real GDP back to pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of 2021.
That forecast sees a full GDP recovery taking place two quarters sooner than Morgan Stanley last expected.
The team led by Ellen Zentner raised its 2020 GDP forecast to -3.4% from -5.3%, while the firm's 2021 estimate gained to 6.4% from 3.4%. Fourth-quarter growth will reach -1.5% this year instead of the previous forecast of -6.2, they said.
The firm also lowered its forecast for the fourth quarter of 2021 to 5.8% from 8%, citing fiscal support expiring sooner than expected after the new bill's September passage.
Still, such a package faces a slew of obstacles before buttressing the economic rebound. The Senate reconvened on Tuesday after failing to make progress on a new bill and taking a recess through August and September. Senate Republicans are expected to introduce a $500 billion skinny bill for renewing expanded unemployment benefits, but the bill is unlikely to garner bipartisan support.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have repeatedly lowered their desired bill size and recently indicated they would back a $2.2 trillion package. The proposal is still roughly $900 billion away from what Republicans are willing to support. The White House said in late August it would consider a bill with up to $1.3 trillion in aid.
Morgan Stanley expects much of the bill to focus on US households through unemployment benefits and another round of stimulus checks. The legislation is also expected to aid state and local budget shortfalls.
The team of economists also based their updated GDP forecast on a quick labor-market recovery. The August jobs report released on Friday showed the unemployment rate falling to 8.4% last month, handily beating economists' expectations. Morgan Stanley sees the rate sliding further to 7.6% by the end of the year.
Similarly, inflation growth will improve through 2021 as demand accelerates and price disruptions driven by the pandemic fade, according to the firm. The bank expects year-over-year inflation to reach 1.6% in the fourth quarter of 2020 and 1.9% by the fourth quarter of 2021.
Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:
Tech. Sgt. John Rodiguez patrols with a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype during an exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, September 3, 2020.
US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Cory D. Payne
US airmen at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada tested "robot dogs" to augment base security during an exercise that simulated an attack on the facility.
The robots provided visual assessments to airmen as they arrived on the scene to support the rapid rearming and refueling of other aircraft, including four F-16 Fighting Falcons.
The Air Force deployed an unusual new system during a recent exercise: "robot dogs" designed to enhance the situational awareness of security forces during a mission.
The robot dogs — developed by Ghost Robotics as part of an Air Force Research Laboratory contract awarded back in April — were deployed last week to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada as part of an agile combat employment exercise during which airmen scrambled to secure a simulated airfield against hostile attack.
Rodiguez controls a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype while on patrol during an exercise on Nellis Air Force Base, September 3, 2020.
US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Cory D. Payne
The exercise, conducted by active-duty and Air National Guard airmen from across the United States, was designed to test the Air Force's next-generation Advanced Battle Management System, "a state-of-the-art system designed to provide combatant commanders the ability to control Department of Defense assets in real-time," according to the Air Force.
The specific model robot dog is technically called the Vision 60, a military-grade version of Ghost Robotics' Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicle platform that's designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, distributed communications, and "persistent security," as The War Zone put it.
"Beyond all-terrain stability and operation in virtually any environment, a core design principle for our legged robots is reduced mechanical complexity when compared to any other legged robots, and even traditional wheeled-tracked UGVs," according to Ghost Robotics. "By reducing complexity, we inherently increase durability, agility, and endurance, and reduce the cost to deploy and maintain ground robots."
Air Force tests robot dogs
A Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype provides security during an exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, September 3, 2020.
US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Cory D. Payne
During the exercise, airmen assigned to the 321st Contingency Response Squadron, 621st Contingency Response Wing flew from Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado to Nellis AFB via a 109th Airlift Wing LC-130 Hercules aircraft and secured the airfield.
The Vision 60 robot dogs provided visual assessments of the area while allowing 621st CRW airmen to maintain a tighter perimeter to the aircraft as the other supporting airmen arrived on the scene, according to CR team chief for the exercise and 321 CRS loadmaster Master Sgt. Lee Boston.
The exercise eventually saw a second C-130, an MC-130J Commando II, and four F-16 Fighting Falcons undergo rapid rearming and refueling on the ground while the robot dogs stood watch alongside security forces.
Rodiguez patrols with a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype during an exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, September 3, 2020.
US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Cory D. Payne
While details are scarce regarding the specific capabilities tested on the Vision 60 robot dogs during the ABMS demonstration, photos published to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service show airmen from the 621st CRW operating with multiple variants of the platform — likely a testament to the modular design touted by Ghost Robotics.
"Our modular design even supports field swapping any sub-assembly within minutes," according to Ghost Robotics. "Strategic partners can build solution-specific Q-UGVs for virtually any use-case with their choice of sensors, radios, and even size the robot to suit specific requirements by licensing our reference designs."
For more details on the ABMS and how the Vision 60 robot dogs fit in, I highly suggest checking out this detailed analysis at The War Zone. In the meantime, here's a video of those robot dogs in action:
