• Growth investing is a fundamental investing approach that focuses on buying stocks expected to rise at a faster rate than the market overall.
• Growth stocks tend to represent new companies in emerging markets and innovative industries, like high-tech. 
• Growth stocks offer higher returns but greater risk, so investors must carefully research a company's fundamentals and competitiveness in its field. 
• Visit Business Insider's Investing Reference library for more stories.

Growth investing is an investment approach that targets stocks that provide a significantly higher average rate of return than the market in general. 

Now, your gut reaction to the above might be, "Hm, isn't that the point of investing in general?"

Yes, in a way. But growth investing is distinct in that it focuses almost exclusively on companies and sectors that are on the rise — and in the fast lane.

"Growth investing refers to investing in those parts of the market which can offer above average rates of return and therefore provide an opportunity for investors to grow (sometimes significantly) their capital," says Niladri Mukherjee, the head of CIO portfolio strategy for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "Broadly, it can refer to investing in asset classes like equities or in early-stage companies in the private markets."

The focus on early-stage or high-growth companies does admittedly carry its own risks, but when combined with diversification, growth investing can become a key part of an investor's overall strategy.

Growth investing basics

While some investors mainly seek income from their financial holdings, most invest for appreciation — an increase in their money. Growth investing is one of the key ways to accomplish this goal.

"Growth investing is the search for companies that are growing quickly and more than the market in general. As an example, a company that earned $0.50 per share last year but will earn $1 this year is growing rapidly and would therefore tend to sell at a premium to the market," says Steve Massocca, the managing director at Wedbush Securities.

Growth stocks tend to represent exciting, new companies in emerging markets and industries, and are therefore valued very highly. There lies the inherent risk: Growth stocks are expensive to buy and hold. Even so, dogged growth investors simply see the higher premium as the cost of entry for growth for years to come.

Another risk to keep in mind: Because growth companies are apt to reinvest earnings to grow the business and spur even more expansion, growth stocks typically do not pay dividends — that is, until growth slows.

In that way, growth investing may not be ideal for the risk-averse investor looking for quick returns. Instead, growth investing may be more suited for those with a higher tolerance for risk and a longer investment horizon. 

What makes a good growth stock?

To transform growth investing into a sustainable strategy, investors must learn how to identify equities that have the most potential to become growth stocks. While the following list isn't exhaustive, here are the three important principles for spotting good growth stocks:

1. Look for new, high-rising industries: The first thing to do is to look for newer industries and sectors that are exhibiting stronger-than-average growth.
   
   "Growth investing tends to live in newer industries where customer acceptance is growing from a very low level, say smartphones as a historical example. Growth stocks are identified by how fast their revenues and earnings are growing relative to the market," says Massocca.
   
   It's obviously not enough for investors to identify growth sectors and then invest in any early-stage company they can find. It's also vital to do your homework on what any given company is doing, and on how they fit into their industry.

2. Evaluate future earnings power: Another important area to consider is the future earnings power of a company, meaning its ability to generate profits over the long term. This can be done by examining its return on assets (ROA), its return on equity (ROE), as well as its current revenues, assets, and profits.
   
   "When selecting growth stocks, it is important to understand the business model of the company, [as well as] their earnings power into the future," says Niladri Mukherjee.

3. Assess the quality of senior management: Of course, it's not enough to simply look at a company's sector and its present-day financials. If you want a good idea of whether it really can grow healthily into the future, you'll also need to consider the quality of its senior management.
   
   This means looking at its board and executives, checking their experience and track record. If there's really no one in senior management who has any substantial degree of experience, it may be risky to assume that the company will perform strongly and sustainably.

The power of growth funds

Aside from scouring for start-ups and emerging markets, one temptation may be to identify potential growth stocks by looking for initial public offerings. Such IPOs tend to be held by companies in high-growth sectors and may promise higher-than-average returns. 

However, research suggests that IPOs aren't as profitable as many might assume, with historical data collected by the University of Florida's Jay Ritter showing that around 60% of IPOs have negative returns for five years following their openings.

In the face of such dangers, one safer option may be to invest in a mutual fund or ETF which tracks growth stocks and sectors, holding a variety of companies in its portfolio. 

"An ETF provides a cost-effective way to get exposure to an index of growth stocks," says Niladri Mukherjee.

Some of the most popular growth ETFs include: 

• iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF
• Invesco QQQ ETF
• Vanguard Information Technology ETF
• O'Shares Global Internet Giants ETF

For example, the iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF tracks around 500 of the best-performing large U.S. stocks. It recorded a return of 37.2% for the 12 months to September 2020, compared to a return of 13% and 6.6%, respectively, for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones. That said, the NASDAQ rose by 45.8% over the same period, so not all high-growth funds may be more profitable than merely investing in a fund that tracks an index.

Likewise, here's a small selection of the most high-profile and best-performing growth mutual funds:

• Fidelity Trend Fund
• Zevenbergen Growth Fund
• T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth Fund
• Franklin DynaTech Fund

Growth investing vs. value investing

Both growth and value investing are approaches taken by appreciation-oriented investors. However, strategy-wise, growth investing is the opposite of value investing. 

Both seek a high return on the invested capital. But while value investing seeks out companies that are underpriced relative to their intrinsic worth, growth investing is all about buying into promising companies with a stronger potential to rise even further.

Often, stocks are viewed as either "growth" or "value" stocks. Telling the difference between growth stocks and value stocks is fairly simple, and is usually based on not only rates of return, but also prices.

"Value investors are looking for companies that are trading cheaper than the market in general. Typical barometers are price to earnings and price to book. Stocks selling for less than book value attract value investors under the assumption that eventually, the market will recognize this discount and correct for it," says Massocca.

Compared to growth stocks, value stocks tend to have lower price-to-earnings ratios, which measure the ratio of a company's stock price to its earnings per share. Anything under 13 to 15 is considered relatively low, given that the average P/E ratio for the S&P 500 has historically hovered in that range.

With a value stock, an investor faces less of a risk of a sharp price collapse, in the event that a company underperforms or is confronted by bad news. There's also potentially more space for its price to rise. 

"Long time tenants of investing hold that growth investing is riskier than value investing. As investors get older they tend to move from growth to value," says Massocca.

On the other hand, the efficient market hypothesis states that cheap-but-good stocks should be few and far between, or should exist only for a short time before the market inevitably corrects itself. 

This is why it's important to balance value investing with growth investing since no approach on its own provides an easy way of reaping outsized returns.

Tips for investing for growth

There's never a 100% guarantee you'll consistently make a profit with growth investing, but there are a number of steps you can take to increase your chances.

• Diversify: Just as it applies to investment in general, diversification is a key strategy in growth investing. A well-balanced and maintained portfolio of stocks will increase your exposure to reward while decreasing your exposure to risk. "Investors should keep a diversified exposure when investing in growth — different companies, industries, size, and liquidity. Investors should review the position size of these holdings as they can disproportionally add risk to the overall portfolio," says Mukherjee.
• Go abroad: A smart growth investor looks to foreign and emerging markets, and thinks about placing their capital across a range of asset classes, not just equities. "Investors should keep a balance of domestic and international investments and have other assets in the portfolio such as fixed income and cash which can provide ballast when volatility strikes and risk assets like stocks decline in value," says Mukherjee.
• Look for the potential for market dominance: One area where growth stocks dominate is the tech sector. The main reason for this is that the tech industry almost naturally produces disruptive products that enable their manufacturers to assume a position of market dominance.
  
  "Growth stocks typically trade at a valuation premium to the market for reasons such as they possess higher earnings growth, have a unique product or business model, or are dominant in their industry," says Mukherjee.
• Pick a good fund and be patient: Diversification is important, but few of us have the resources to hand-pick dozens of stocks ourselves. As such, the best way of diversifying is usually through an ETF or mutual fund.
  
  It's important to note, however, that once you settle on a good fund you will need to be patient. Most of the top-performing growth funds do boast positive returns over the medium and long term, but you may need to wait at least a year or two before you see significant upside. This is particularly the case with growth investing, given that some prominent growth companies (e.g., Amazon) needed years before they could turn a profit.
• Research, research, research: Research is vitally important if you want an informed idea of what to expect from growth investing. This means not only researching the fundamentals of any company you're going to invest in individually but also monitoring the wider economy for indicators of a favorable environment for growth investing (e.g., low interest rates).
  
  This latter point is important. Growth stocks may be more likely to rise higher — or sink — when certain economic conditions are met, with low interest rates being an important indicator of a wider appetite for equities, for example. 

The financial takeaway

Growth investing offers investors the opportunity to outperform the market, given its focus on companies that are showing signs of above-average expansion and profitability. This focus also comes with risks, with many IPOs actually losing money for investors. 

It's because growth investing involves numerous risks that it may be a good idea for investors to turn to an investment manager — either a personal one (assuming they can afford it) or the professionals managing a growth-oriented mutual fund or ETF. 

However, even without a portfolio manager, investors can make growth investing work for them so long as they do their homework and maintain a consistent strategy of diversification. By balancing their portfolio with other types of stocks, along with other assets, most investors should be able to turn growth investing into a sustainable strategy.

Related Coverage in Investing:

What is common stock? The most typical way to invest in a company and profit from its growth

How to diversify your portfolio to limit losses and guard against risk

How to invest in penny stocks: a guide for beginners

A self-directed IRA gives you control over a greater choice of investment options, but it also means more responsibility and risks

FAANG stands for five very successful tech companies that can move the stock market — here's what to know about investing in them

• You can edit a Google Site to customize its appearance.
• Google Sites allows you to add text, images, hyperlinks, YouTube videos, and more to your webpage.
• You can also add charts, sheets, documents, and slideshows from your Google Drive.
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Google Sites is a free tool to make your own website without the help of a developer.

You can start from scratch or use a template to make a browsable job portfolio, school projects, or an event page.

Google Sites are basic but customizable. You can upload images, add links, text, and basic HTML if you know how to code.

Once you've created a Google Site, editing is completely intuitive. If you've worked on a Microsoft Word document or used Google Slides, its interface should be familiar to you. 

You don't have to be a wiz to make something simple and functional.

How to edit a Google Site

Once you've created a website, you can start playing around with different features.

On the top of the right hand side of the edit page, you'll see three tabs: "Insert," "Pages" and "Themes."

Options under Insert allow you to add images, text, links, and more. Pages allows you to add multiple webpages on your site beyond the homepage. Themes lets you change the general look of the site. You can choose from a limited number of colors and fonts.

How to use the Insert tab

The Insert tab provides the most granular editing techniques.

In the top right, you'll see buttons to add a text box, image, embedded link or a document from your Google Drive.

Scrolling down, you'll see different layout options. 

Instead of changing the entire look of the page, selecting a layout adds additional image and text boxes for you to play with. When you tap any of the layout buttons, that selected layout will appear below your page title.

Tap the trash can icon on the left hand side to remove a layout. Tap the palette button to customize its background.

Click any text box to add text. When you've selected a text box, you can bold, italicize or change the text style from a title, to header to body text. To change the font, see the "Themes" tab.

Any background can be replaced with an image. 

Select an image from a series of default images, from your Google Drive, or from your computer. Select "Change Image" to select the image you'd like to add. Alternatively, hit any plus icon in an empty photo box to add an image.

Below layouts, you'll see options to add YouTube videos, an image carousel, calendar, Google Maps and more. You can also add items from Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides directly from your Drive.

Placeholders reserve space for YouTube videos, images, maps and calendars. Buttons become clickable links. Dividers break up sections.

How to use the Pages tab

This tab allows you to add separate pages to your website. Edit the finer details with options under the Insert tab.

How to use the Themes tab

First, select a theme you like. Select a color or the paint bucket icon to pick your own. Tap font style to toggle between the few available options.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• How to create a Google Site and easily publish your own custom website
  

• How to delete a Google Site if you no longer need the website active, or restore a deleted site

• A full list of Google voice commands you can use with Google Assistant to make everyday tasks easier

• How to enable two-factor authentication on your Google account for added security

• How to make Google your homepage on any major web browser

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• With many bakeries closed during the novel coronavirus pandemic, you may be missing that yeasty crunch of fresh-baked bread.
• We're keeping a running list of places to order bread online from sliced loaves to fresh boules and even par-baked loaves you can finish in your own oven. 
• If you're set on making your own bread, you can pick up an easy bread recipe with yeast here, or one without yeast here.
• And if you're looking to order other groceries or specialty food items, check out our running list of where to buy groceries online.
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.

Earlier during the novel coronavirus pandemic, people were baking bread in record numbers, resulting in flour flying off the shelves and yeast nowhere to be found. 

There was no reason to panic as wheat was still being produced to make flour for bread and other delicious carbs. But if you're seeing that your local grocery store or bakery is closed or running low on loaves, or you want to avoid crowded grocery stores, you may want to shop online. 

There are plenty of online bakeries and specialty food stores that are shipping fresh bread nationwide. From stores that are making specialty artisanal loaves and New York bagels to ones selling good old Wonder Bread, here's a running list of where to order bread online. And if you want to pass off one of your delivery loaves as something you baked yourself, we won't judge.

Where to buy bread online:

Artisan bread

Williams Sonoma: In addition to high-end kitchenware, Williams Sonoma also offers a large selection of specialty foods including several types of bread, pastries, bagels, and biscuits. Shipping is free on orders over $49.

Angelic Bakehouse: Angelic Bakehouse starts with sprouted grains, bringing you a more healthful loaf. In addition to sliced loaves like wheat, rye, and seven-grain, it also sells wraps, pizza crusts, and crisps. Shipping is free on orders over $30.

Bread Basket: Curated weekly, each $49 order from Bread Basket contains a large assortment of bread, bagels, pastries, and sweet treats sourced from New York bakeries including Orwashers, BAKED, Amy's Bread, Pain d'Avignon, New Yorker Bagel, and Leaven & Co. You can buy a one-off basket for yourself or an NYC hospital, or subscribe for weekly deliveries at a slight discount. Orders must be placed by Tuesday for delivery that Friday. Shipping is an additional $15 to $25 based on your location.

Bread Village: Bread Village ships German rye sourdough loaves and rolls from Germany to the United States. Loaves are par-baked and frozen, so you'll finish baking the bread at home, ensuring fresh bread whenever you're ready for it. Shipping is $9.99 or free on orders over $54.

Green Mart: Green Mart is an online grocery store, focusing on farm-fresh ingredients. It has a selection of fresh bread including Jewish rye, French baguettes, and cottage loaves. Shipping is a flat $9.90.

Izzio Artisan Bakery: If you're looking for pre-sliced artisan bread for sandwiches and toast, Izzio Artisan Bakery is the place to order. It also sells frozen take-and-bake loaves, so you can have hot, fresh bread within 15 minutes. You'll have to buy in bulk — most selections are available in packs of four, eight, or 12 — but it's affordable and you can easily split an order with friends or neighbors. Best of all, shipping is free.

Boudin Bakery: Established in 1849, Boudin Bakery is home to the original San Francisco sourdough. It ships its signature loaves, baguettes, and rolls nationwide. Two-day shipping ranges from $17.95 to $20.95 based on how far the order has to be sent.

Atwater's: This Baltimore-based bakery is shipping its bread and pastries nationwide, and you can throw in a house-made jam or hot sauce for good measure. Shipping is a flat $10.

Zingerman's: The Ann Arbor, MI-based Zingerman's Deli has an online shop where it sells its artisan bread, meats, cheeses, and other specialty foods. Bread ships with two-day shipping so ensure it arrives fresh, but as a result, shipping costs hover around $13 to $15.

Domaselo: This Miami-based bakery is shipping its organic sourdough loaves. Get a plain country loaf or baguette or choose from breads flavored with herbs, nuts, or fruits. If you live in the Miami area, delivery is free on orders over $2o. For the rest of the country, shipping is free on orders over $35, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, California, and Arizona.

Bagels

Zabar's: This New York institution has been slinging bagels and lox on Manhattan's Upper West Side since 1934 and has developed a specially formulated toaster bagel that it ships nationwide. Order them in packs of six or 18. Shipping is $10.

New Yorker Bagels: New Yorker Bagels offers nearly two dozen flavors of bagels and ships them across the country. Order one dozen, three dozen, or choose from its sampler packs, and add spreads as well. Right now, New Yorker Bagels is offering reduced prices to those in the New York region. Shipping is free unless you select a Saturday delivery date, which is an additional $14.

Wolferman's Bakery: Wolferman's is owned and operated by Harry & David, so you couldn't be in better hands when it comes to mail-order goods. This online bakery specializes in baked goods including bagels, English muffins, scones, and pastries. Shipping is calculated at checkout. Bagels ship with two-day shipping that won't incur an upcharge, but other items may take longer to receive.

The Bagel Club: If a chewier, sweeter Montreal-style bagel is what you're after, The Bagel Club ships them by the dozen. You can customize how many of each type of bagel you want, and you can set a recurring order if you like. Bagels ship with free two-day shipping.

Bantam Bagels: This Shark Tank alum makes bagel balls pre-filled with flavored cream cheese. They ship frozen and should be stored that way as well. They come in packs of three dozen and you can order a single flavor or a sampler with multiple flavors. Orders ship on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and shipping is calculated at checkout. 

Specialty baked goods

Goldbelly: Shipping all the food you love from iconic restaurants all over the country, Goldbelly lets you satisfy any craving. Order challah from Russ & Daughters in New York, biscuits from Callie's in Charleston, or bagels from St-Viateur in Montreal. The possibilities are endless, but you'll pay a premium for the luxury. Shipping costs are set by each restaurant — sometimes it's free, but we've seen shipping costs as high as $35 depending on the item.

Harry & David: In addition to its classic fruit baskets, Harry & David sells bakery baskets that include a variety of sweet breads, cookies, and more. It even stocks cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon.

Panera Bread: Panera Bread is one of the many restaurant chains that has shifted to online grocery delivery during the pandemic. If you live within the delivery radius of a Panera, you'll be able to order bread, bagels, and other Panera staples for same-day delivery. There is a $5 order minimum and a $3 delivery fee.

Eastern Standard Provisions: Eastern Standard Provisions specializes in gourmet soft pretzels. Choose from several different shapes and sizes, and they'll arrive at your door two to three days after you place your order. Heat and eat them right away or pop them in the freezer. Shipping is a flat $9.99.

Challah Connection: Specializing in kosher baked goods since 2002, Challah Connection ships its namesake loaves as well as bagels, bialys, babkas, rugelach, and other Jewish specialties. Orders may currently be delayed three to five days due to demand. Shipping is free on orders over $159. Otherwise, it will range from $15.99 to $18.99.

National grocery store brands

Thrive Market: A monthly membership costs $9.94 and gets you access to tons of organic, fair-trade, and sustainably sourced groceries and produce, though much of the latter is in bulk. In terms of bread, it's a much more reasonable loaf of take-and-bake bread that you can "bake" yourself.

FreshDirect: If you live in the New York metro or Washington, DC area, you should be ordering your groceries from FreshDirect. It's one of the best grocery delivery services we've tried in the area. Delivery slots are still hard to come by, but you can snag one if you check regularly. Fresh Direct's delivery fee is $5.99.

Peapod: Peapod operates along the East Coast. Just place your order, and Peapod will assign a personal shopper to pick up and deliver your order from your local Stop & Shop. The delivery fee ranges from $6.95 to $9.95 depending on how much you spend.

Instacart: Instacart sends personal shoppers into your local grocery stores — or drugstores, Targets, etc. — so you can continue to shop where you usually do or patronize a new local business. Delivery is $7.99 or you can become an Express member for $99 a year or $9.99 a month to get free delivery on orders over $35.

Shipt: Like Instacart, Shipt sends a personal shopper to a local store to pick up and deliver your items. Unlike Instacart, Shipt is membership-based, so you'll have to subscribe for $14 a month or $99 a year to use the service.

Boxed: Boxed sells bulk dry goods at discounted prices, but for fresh items like bread, it also offers an Express grocery delivery service where a shopper will pick up and deliver your items at a time you select. The delivery fee is $8.99 and you're also subject to a fluctuating On-Demand fee.

Walmart Grocery: After you shop through Walmart's grocery portal, a Walmart employee will put together and deliver your order for you. No third party service required. This helps keep Walmart's grocery prices consistent with what you'll find in stores. There is an additional delivery fee of $9.94.

AmazonFresh: AmazonFresh is free for Prime members, with no delivery fees or additional service charges. Prime members can also shop at their local Whole Foods where a personal shopper will pick up your groceries.

Mercato: Mercato partners with local grocery stores and specialty markets to facilitate delivery. I was even able to find some local bakeries in my neighborhood on Mercato. Many stores have an order minimum and delivery fees can be quite steep depending on the store.

Check out our other grocery-related stories

• A running list of where to buy groceries online when your local store is out of stock
• The best places to buy groceries online
• Where to buy flour online right now
• Where to buy beef, pork, poultry and more online
• The best places to buy beer online, from local delivery services to monthly subscriptions
• The best places to buy alcohol online now and get it delivered right to your door

• Despite losing the general election, President Donald Trump's campaign is seeking donations from voters.
• The Make America Great Again Committee donation page says that 75% of every contribution is routed to Trump's newly established leadership PAC, Save America.
• These funds could be used to finance the president's life after he leaves office or even go toward a 2024 presidential bid. 
• "This money could easily — and legally — end up in his own pocket in the coming years," the vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause told CNN.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election but continues to bombard voters with repeated texts and emails seeking donations for his efforts to overturn the results.

"Please contribute $5 RIGHT NOW to the Election Defense Fund to stop the Radical Left from STEALING this Election," one campaign email said on Tuesday. 

However, it remains unknown exactly what that money is being used for.

In the days following the election, the fine print on Trump's Make America Great Again Committee donation page said 60% of every contribution would be routed to pay off campaign debt. Trump then directed that share of funds to his new leadership political action committee, Save America, which he launched on November 9, three days after Decision Desk HQ and Insider called the race for President-elect Joe Biden.

The details have been updated again. Now the first 75% of each donation goes to Save America, but the amount is capped at $5,000. Once that dollar amount has been met, a portion of the contribution goes to the Trump campaign's recount account. And 25% of the money is sent to a Republican National Committee account.

A leadership PAC is typically created by current and former politicians to donate money to each other and build relationships. The contributions can be used to fund candidates' travel and events, for example. Trump's PAC has raised questions about whether he will try to maintain political influence after he exits the White House.

Trump's campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said in a statement after the president established Save America that he "always planned to do this, win or lose, so he can support candidates and issues he cares about, such as combating voter fraud."

However, there aren't many restrictions on how the donations can be spent, meaning Trump could use the funds entirely for himself. Multiple reports suggested he could spend the money to help finance a 2024 presidential bid or support his post-presidency life, as well as his family members. 

"This money could easily — and legally — end up in his own pocket in the coming years," Paul Ryan, the vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, said in a CNN report on Monday. Save America will have to release its fundraising numbers and expenses in its first public report on December 3, according to CNN.

Trump has still not conceded the election, but his administration on Monday evening officially began the transition process for Biden's White House. Trump's plans after January 20 remain unclear.

• Fox News has settled a lawsuit brought by the parents of Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer who was killed in July 2016.
• The network and several of its personalities floated the baseless conspiracy theory that Rich may have been murdered in retribution for sharing internal DNC emails with Wikileaks.
• Police say Rich was likely the victim of a botched robbery.
• The settlement terms haven't been made public.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Fox News has settled a lawsuit with the parents of Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer killed in July 2016 who became the subject of right-wing conspiracy theories advanced by the network.

The settlement, announced Tuesday, ends a two-year lawsuit in which Joel and Mary Rich sued Fox News for emotional distress.

The network, along with several Fox News personalities on social media, advanced the baseless theory that Rich had leaked internal documents from the DNC to Wikileaks in the heat of the 2016 presidential campaign and may have been murdered in retribution.

Rich was killed in July 2016, likely as part of a botched robbery, according to Washington, DC, police, in a neighborhood that had experienced a rash of armed robberies at the time.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in court filings. Judge George B. Daniels, the federal judge in New York overseeing the case, has not yet approved the settlement.

"The settlement with Fox News closes another chapter in our efforts to mourn the murder of our beloved Seth, whom we miss every single day," Joel and Mary Rich said in a statement. "It allows us to move on from the litigation we initiated in response to Fox News' May 2017 article and televised statements concerning Seth's murder. We are pleased with the settlement of this matter and sincerely hope that the media will take genuine caution in the future."

Weeks after the 27-year-old's death, Wikileaks published thousands of emails it said were internal DNC correspondences. As Business Insider's David Choi previously reported, the leaks gave birth to a conspiracy theory that Rich was in contact with Wikileaks before his death, and that the DNC was behind the killing as part of a cover-up.

The theory allowed President Donald Trump's allies to divert from the fact that Russia was responsible for the DNC hacking and handed the emails to Wikileaks, as the Senate Intelligence Committee later concluded.

A local police official told Business Insider at the time that there was "no indication" Rich's death was connected to his employment at the DNC.

Fox News hosts pushed the conspiracy theory in 2017

Fox News floated the conspiracy theory in a 2017 article by Malia Zimmerman, which Fox News ultimately retracted. The theory was also advanced by Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Steve Doocy, and Lou Dobbs, as well as Fox News contributors including Newt Gingrich and Geraldo Rivera.

The Zimmerman article cited Rod Wheeler — a private investigator the Rich family hired at the urging of Zimmerman and other Fox staffers, according to the Rich family's lawsuit — as evidence for its claims.

Wheeler sued Fox News in 2017, claiming Zimmerman fabricated quotes and attributed them to him. The lawsuit was dismissed a year later. Zimmerman no longer works at Fox News, a network spokesperson told Insider on Tuesday.

Hannity and Dobbs were scheduled for a deposition in the case, according to The Daily Beast. It's not clear if the depositions ultimately took place.

"We are pleased with the resolution of the claims and hope this enables Mr. and Mrs. Rich to find a small degree of peace and solace moving forward," Fox News said in a statement shared with Insider.

• Read more:
• Media executives and financial firms are making a land grab for Fox News viewers and Trump supporters, and a new player just entered the race
• Tucker Carlson was attacked by Trump supporters for questioning the outlandish claims of the president's lawyer Sidney Powell before she was fired
• Fox News launched its new marketing campaign, 'Standing Up For What's Right,' soon after Trump stepped up his criticism of the network

• Google Sites is a free website builder from Google.
• You can create websites with collaborators by giving another Google user edit access.
• Google Sites are compatible with other Google services like Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Google Sites is Google's free and easy-to-use website building tool.

While the look or feel of Google Sites may not be quite as evolved as a Squarespace website, there are a few benefits to using the service if you want to create a simple and functional site.

For starters, it's completely free. There's no limit on the number of sites you can create as long as you stay within the 15 GB storage limit on your Google account.

A version of Google Sites has been around since 2008, but there have been significant updates along the way. Google is currently phasing out older sites — called "classic Sites" — in favor of the newer version of the website builder. If you're a longtime user with an older site, you'll want to convert your website to a new Google Site by September 2021 if you want it to remain operational.

Google Sites' key features

Google Sites are integrated with other Google Workspace tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. 

So you can drop in projects from your Google Drive into the website that you're building. And like those services, Google Sites can be built, shared, and copied between editors. This is ideal for creating a website for a work project that requires charts and tables or for an event you're planning with others.

Once you've created your website, you can customize its look and feel using the editing function. 

You don't need to have any background in web development or coding to make a website using Google Sites. Every function is intuitive and user friendly.

You can add images, links, YouTube videos and more to your website using simple templates. Deleting and rearranging any of them takes only a few clicks.

Once a Google Site has served its purpose, you can delete it. But deleting a site isn't a permanent action. Simply go to the trash in your Google Drive to restore it. But remember, Google Drive automatically empties anything that's been in the trash can for longer than 30 days. 

Overall, Google Sites isn't as comprehensive as other website-building tools. But if you're looking for a free service for a work presentation, small business or local event, Google Sites could be exactly what you're looking for.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• How to create a Google Site and easily publish your own custom website
  

• How to edit a Google Site and customize your website's appearance

• You can't change the name your Google Home responds to, but you can change the device's name in the app — here's how

• How to change your Google Home Wi-Fi network through the mobile app, to reconnect all your Google devices

• 'What is a Google Home Hub?': Everything you need to know about the Google smart device that can help you navigate daily life

• Billionaire investor Byron Wien told CNBC that the stock market may be getting ahead of itself as the Dow passed 30,000 for the first time ever on Tuesday.
• "I'd have a degree of caution here," Wien said. "But I think we're in a long-cycle that's going to last several years." 
• The Blackstone Advisory Partners vice chairman said the economy will continue to expand and long-term investors will be rewarded if they're "patient."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Billionaire investor Byron Wien told CNBC that the stock market may be getting ahead of itself as the Dow Jones passed 30,000 for the first time on Tuesday.

"I'd have a degree of caution here," Wien said as the major index hit a record high. "I think the market with all the vaccines announced in the last two weeks may be getting a little ahead of itself, but I think we're in a long-cycle that's going to last several years."

The Blackstone Advisory Partners vice chairman said that the economy will expand for the next several years and this will help long-term investors realize gains.

"You may be paying a little too much now, but time will probably bail you out," Wien said. "If you're patient and hold on, you probably will be rewarded." 

Read more: Morningstar's top stock pickers say these are the 10 highest-conviction stocks they recommend — and which top fund managers recently piled their money into

The investor also said that persistent low-interest rates are likely to support a higher price-to-earnings ratio than the stock market has experienced in the past.

The record move in the Dow today is reflecting optimism that the economy will get back to normal as more progress on the vaccine front is reached, Wien added. 

The Dow is up nearly 56% from its lows in March and up 5% year-to-date. It reached its last major milestone—20,000—in the beginning of 2017.

• The Ring doorbell works by allowing you to see who's at your door whenever there's motion detected, even if you're not home.
• You can see what's happening through the Ring app on your phone and speak through the doorbell.
• The app also has several other useful features to make your home more secure.
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

You've probably heard something about the increasingly popular Ring doorbell. This piece of technology is a doorbell that you install and it contains a motion sensor that can detect motion up to 30 feet away. When it senses motion, the camera activates, and it will take a video of the surrounding area.

This doorbell is especially handy around the holidays, as it helps many people identify and, in some cases, ward off would-be package thieves — on top of those two most important features, the Ring doorbell also has a two-way microphone that you can talk through. This feature is also useful for other things, like giving no-contact instructions to delivery drivers.

What you need to know about the Ring doorbell

So how do all of these features work? Well, like most major advancements these days, it's in large part thanks to the internet.

When installed, the Ring doorbell hooks up to your home's Wi-Fi network to transmit video and other information to the Ring app, which you'll need to download to your phone to complete the setup. Once any data the doorbell records is posted on the app, you can see it anywhere that you can get an internet connection.

Even if you don't have time to look at the Ring app whenever you get a notification, you can always go back in the History portion of the app — you can pick out each time an event happens by the timestamp and date, and it will even tell you if it detected a person or just general motion.

You can do other things on the Ring app, too. For example, you can receive community notifications from others with Ring doorbells in your area using the Neighbors function — you can find out about things like power outages, lost pets, fires, and even crimes if they happen nearby.

The app doesn't only support the Ring doorbell; you can also register multiple doorbells on the app and hook up other cameras and outdoor lights.

The Ring doorbell comes with an internal battery that you can charge, and the app tells you when the battery is getting low. Alternately, you can hardwire it to your house if you have the necessary hookups on your door.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• 'Does Ring work with Alexa?': How to sync Ring devices with Alexa to bolster your home security system
  

• How to charge your Ring doorbell in 5 simple steps

• How to reset your Ring doorbell or remove it from your account

• 'What is a Google Home Hub?': Everything you need to know about the Google smart device that can help you navigate daily life

• How to set up a Facebook Portal video-chat device and enable Alexa

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• With the third wave of COVID-19 growing, the CDC is urging Americans to avoid traveling this holiday season as flying, driving, or seeing other families increases the risk of contracting the disease yourself or inadvertently spreading it to others.
• If you have to travel, it's crucial to take precautions and be vigilant about personal and communal safety at the airport, gas stations, and other public venues.
• In addition to three-ply masks, disinfectant wipes, and other pandemic staples, you should prepare a travel safety kit with items that can clean your hands in a pinch or to create a better mask seal to set you up for the best fortification possible.
• We spoke with a number of medical experts about how to avoid the biggest risks of holiday travel during a pandemic, no matter if you're flying for driving.
• This article was medically reviewed by Dr. David Aronoff, MD, director of the division of infectious disease at the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation.

The holidays are here, and with them comes increased temptation to travel in order to spend time with family or friends. But with COVID-19 surging throughout the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging Americans to stay home.

Despite those warnings, many people still plan on traveling, whether across town for dinner or across the country to see family or friends. The safest way for this to occur is for both households to self-isolate for 14 days before and after getting together, to limit all social interactions to their own homes, and to continue to practice social distancing and mask-wearing.

Dr. Abe Malkin, MD, and the founder and medical director of Concierge MD LA, told Insider that the most important precautions are keeping your hands clean, avoiding touching your face, and keeping a distance from people you don't live with.

That last point is especially vital while traveling. With science showing that it's harder to catch COVID-19 from surfaces than initially thought, staying away from other people is a necessity. As is packing a travel safety kit comprised of a variety of essential items like hand sanitizer, spare masks, storage bags, and disinfectant wipes — no matter if you plan on flying or driving this holiday season.

If any of this feels too stressful to think about or prepare for, that's a good sign it's best to just stay home and avoid traveling altogether. Our medical reviewer, Dr. David Aronoff, agrees.

"All travelers should ask themselves before they go, 'Can I afford to be trapped somewhere if I or one of my travel companions gets COVID and can't travel home?' If the answer is no, stay home," Aronoff, who is the director of the division of infectious disease at the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation told Insider. 

If you are traveling, he encourages checking your health insurance information before you go to find out where and how to seek medical attention if you need it, and what your policy covers. Aronoff suggests having a plan of where you'll go to get care if you get sick, and how you'll quarantine from the people you're visiting.

For those who do plan on traveling, we've compiled the following information and product recommendations geared toward making both air and vehicle travel safer during the pandemic. 

Here's everything you need to know and what you need to pack to travel this holiday season:

• A standard adult face masks: Herschel Classic Fitted Face Mask
• A face mask with a removable filter: HaloLife Nanofilter Mask
• Face masks for kids: Onzie Mindful Masks (2-pack)
• A face shield: Mada 10-Pack Reusable Face Shield
• A clean towel: Matador NanoDry Trek Towel
• Portable hand sanitizer: Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer Spray
• A pack of antibacterial wipes: Oars + Alps Antibacterial Aloe Wipes
• Travel-sized disinfectant wipes: Clorox Disinfectant Wipes On the Go
• A smartphone sanitizer: PhoneSoap 3 Smartphone UV Sanitizer
• Packing cubes for easy organizing: eBags Hyperlite Packing Cubes
• Tape to secure your face mask: Cabeau Tape
• An attachment to keep mask cloth out of your mouth: HeartFormSF Mask Bracket (5-Count)
• A reusable bag to store safety gear: Stasher Reusable Silicone Bag
• A thermometer to keep track of your body temperature: Vicks ComfortFlex Thermometer

What should be in your travel safety kit

First and foremost, remember the basics: Keep your hands clean and stay away from people outside of your household as much as possible. The biggest challenge when traveling is maintaining a minimum of six feet of distance between yourself and others. 

You should also pack a portable safety kit — and the necessary items in this COVID safety kit only slightly differ for flying versus driving.

Masks for adults

We all know wearing a mask all day isn't exactly the height of comfort, but most people get used to it quite quickly.

Dr. Joyce Sanchez, MD, medical director of the Travel Health Clinic at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin told Insider that even if it feels like it's harder to breathe while wearing a mask, it doesn't actually affect how much oxygen your body gets. Aside from people who are unable to put one on and take it off themselves — such as people with cognitive difficulties — almost everyone can safely wear a mask, "including those with chronic lung and heart problems." 

Wearing a mask helps compensate for the lack of distance that inevitably comes with standing in line, sitting on a plane, or walking by someone on the way to the bathroom. 

As most of us know by now, COVID-19 mainly transmits via droplets and microscopic particles (aerosols) that naturally come out of our noses and mouths when we cough, sneeze, laugh, talk, and breathe. 

Wearing a mask — the right mask worn the right way — not only helps protect the people around you, but, according to new CDC reports, helps protect the wearer, too. And while disposable or reusable masks are a personal choice, we'd encourage you to minimize waste whenever possible. 

Dr. Sanchez says the real key is to "choose a face mask that fully covers your mouth and nose and has two or more layers of fabric." She also suggests choosing masks made of non-stretch fabrics because they "better block the passage of droplets." 

The very best non-medical masks have three layers, and the layer next to your face and the outer layer should be a tightly-woven fabric like cotton or linen.

The third layer in the middle should be a filter fabric, ideally made from a water-repellent fabric like non-woven polypropylene. The easiest are masks that already have this filter built-in but you can add your own to a two-layer mask with a pocket. A folded paper towel or the non-woven polypropylene fabric (like that typically used in reusable shopping bags) also works well.

It's important you have a snug-fitting mask, too, adds Dr. Malkin. This means the air you breathe in and out will be pushed through your mask's fabric layers so that virus particles are more likely to get trapped in the mask rather than getting inhaled into the lungs.

What about N95 masks?

While N95 masks are the preferred choice for medical staff, the key reason they're effective is that they're fitted professionally to create a seal. That seal ensures all expelled air is forced out through the filters of the mask, rather than leaking unfiltered from the edges. N95 masks are more uncomfortable to wear than non-medical masks and, unless fitted properly, are unlikely to provide any additional benefit. The CDC doesn't recommend members of the public wear them.  

Also, skip valved masks, bandanas, and neck gaiters, which don't provide a tight seal and allow too much air to escape. "Valved masks are not recommended as they allow larger droplets to spread when breathing or speaking," Dr. Sanchez added.

And even though the reports this summer that neck gaiters are worse than no mask at all were likely overblown, the reality is researchers don't know exactly how well they work. They do know that other masks are effective, so skip the neck gaiters and bandanas (they're not allowed by most airlines anyway). 

Masks for kids

Since the fit of a mask is the most important factor, Dr. Malkin says kids should use masks made for kids. "Adult masks are too big for them," he said.

With both kids and adults, masks aren't effective unless you wear them properly and this can be more difficult with resistant children. Dr. Malkin advises opting for a mask with a character or design your child likes to increase the chances they'll want to wear it (and, therefore, keep it on when you're not looking). Consider letting your child pick out their masks to ensure they're happy wearing it. 

Airlines and stores all have different rules for the age that kids must wear a mask. Generally, masks are required for kids five and older but sometimes the limit is age two. The CDC does not recommend masks for children under age two, but Dr. Aronoff advises all kids over 2 years old to wear one unless they physically can't.

Face shields

How important are face shields? "While studies show that additional eye protection in the form of face shields or goggles (not eyeglasses) decreases transmission in hospital settings, we do not know exactly how much additional protection a face shield offers in the community setting," Dr. Sanchez explains. 

She says she sees no downside to adding a face shield to your travel safety kit, but "they are not an equivalent substitute for face masks." They might provide protection if someone sneezes in your direction, for example, but they don't protect people near you from aerosols and droplets coming out of your mouth.

Face shields can also be useful as a reminder to help break the habit of touching your face or touching your mask. 

Hand soap, sanitizer, and wipes

COVID-19 makes clean hands important not just before and after you eat, but anytime you touch your face or your mask. Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the best way to get them clean and virus free, says the CDC. Drying your hands on a clean towel is an important part of that process. 

There's no need to use antibacterial soap, either as antibacterial products have no additional effect on viruses, and they often contain harmful chemicals.

Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap is the most effective way to clean, but hand sanitizer is a close second (and often more convenient). Make sure your hand sanitizer is alcohol-based and made with at least 60% alcohol, Dr. Sanchez said, and that you spread it into the nooks and crannies of your hands. Be sure to use it properly, too — that means rubbing it all over your hands until it completely evaporates.

Hand wipes are a last resort but are certainly better than having unclean hands in your mouth. Keep in mind that most are formulated for objects and not for skin. Dr. Malkin added that "wipes that are not safe for hand use are required to be labeled by the manufacturer," so read labels carefully. As with hand sanitizer, a hand wipe formula needs to be at least 60% alcohol to kill viruses.

Since washing with soap and water isn't always possible, and restrooms aren't typically available, you should always have hand sanitizer with you. It's wise to open restroom doors and turn off taps using a paper towel so you don't immediately dirty your clean hands. 

Disinfectant wipes

"While keeping high-touch surfaces clean is important, obsession or worry over disinfecting every surface you come into contact with outside of your home is unlikely to make a meaningful impact on your risk of acquiring COVID-19," Dr. Sanchez told us. 

Objects you should clean regularly are your phone, sunglasses, keys, and anything you touch and set on dirty surfaces. That's because as soon as you pick them up off a restaurant table or reception counter, your hands are now contaminated, too.

Also, if you're flying, you'll want to wipe down any high-touch surfaces around your seat. Disinfectant wipes are ideal for quick and easy cleaning of objects of any shape.

Be sure to clean your phone, too. You'd be surprised by how dirty your phone actually is, so follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to clean it and try to use it only with clean hands. (But be careful, some cleaners can ruin your screen.) 

Storage bags 

To make pandemic travel as easy as possible, it's important to have sanitizer and other essential items with you and to keep them organized. Ideally, your carry-on bag would have multiple pockets so you can keep things like food and extra masks separate from dirty items (otherwise known as "hot" in contagion speak). You'll also want to be able to reach your hand sanitizer easily and not contaminate everything else trying to get your paws on the bottle.

We recommend having a few plastic bags available, too (like the ones you put produce in at the grocery store). They're a useful place to safely keep used wipes, tissues, disposable masks, and other "hot" items until you can find a trash can to dispose of them in. You'll want one for your car, and flight attendants and aircraft cleaners will be especially grateful that you went the extra mile to protect their health as well as your own. 

What you can skip: Gloves

You don't need to bring gloves with you on your trip. "Gloves can spread the virus as well. The virus can live on the surface of a latex glove, the same as skin," says Dr. Malkin. "Some people become too relaxed when they are wearing gloves. They do not realize they are at more risk for spreading COVID-19 because they are touching multiple personal items in between other things."

Studies from the CDC show that people who wear gloves tend not to wash their hands as often or notice when gloves get dirty or damaged. It's also easy to contaminate your hands when removing gloves. Plus, we don't need any more COVID waste than we already have. 

If you don't want to sanitize your hands after touching every single door handle, consider using a cloth or a dish towel for opening doors. After, simply fold it "hot" side in and tuck it into a plastic bag or place where it can't potentially infect your other belongings. 

Just don't use your feet on door handles, elevators, or pedestrian crosswalk buttons — you don't want to make them dirtier for others who might have no choice but to touch them with their hands, such as people who use wheelchairs.

What else to keep in mind

Set kids up for success

If kids can help choose their own supplies, it increases the chance they'll use them. But what's more important than products is to "model safe practices," Dr. Sanchez explains. "If you're wearing a mask, disinfecting your hands, maintaining that distance, and reinforcing those behaviors through what you say and do — children pick up on and mirror that." 

Keep in mind that the FDA says kids aged six and under shouldn't use hand sanitizer unless supervised by an adult. This is to prevent them from ingesting it or getting it in their eyes. You just need to watch them until it dries and once sanitizer evaporates, it's safe for kids to eat with their hands and even stick their fingers in their mouths. 

Make sure your mask fits correctly and is comfortable

The fit of your mask is crucial. Dr. Malkin says you want one that's "not too big to where it's falling off below your nose, and not too small to where it's compromising your airflow." 

If a mask causes your glasses or sunglasses to fog up (a very common complaint), that's actually a sign it doesn't fit properly and allows respiratory droplets to escape out the top. 

Special tape, like Cabeau Tape, can be placed over any gaps to create a better seal, and can even be used across the sides of a mask to seal it to your face if ear loops irritate you (the tape is reusable, but make sure you create a real seal every time you take it off and put it back on).

Even though masks don't actually inhibit airflow, their tendency to suction to your mouth every time you breathe in can be annoying while also increasing moisture in the fabric. To prevent this, look for a mask with a more structured frame that keeps the fabric away from your lips or use an insert frame, like HeartFormSF, into a covering you already have.

Minimize how much you're taking your mask on and off

Your mask is meant to trap all the virus particles that are potentially in the air — not just yours but those from other people, as well. That means it's dirty, so you'll want to avoid touching it for any reason. 

If you do need to adjust it or take it off (to eat or drink, for example), hold it by the ear straps and try to avoid touching the parts that cover your nose and mouth. Remember to clean your hands both before and after touching your mask.

If you plan to wear the mask again, like after you eat, be sure to put it in a place that keeps it clean. Putting it on a table or around your arm is an easy way to spread your germs and to pick up germs from other people. Dr. Sanchez advises storing it in a clean plastic or paper bag, or on a clean, disinfected surface away from others — masks, hands, and breath — to minimize contamination. 

A resealable plastic bag is a good pick; bring a few on your trip so you always have a clean one to store your mask. 

Always have extra clean masks

When you travel, you need to have enough masks to wear a fresh one each day, as well as extras on hand if you accidentally drop your mask or get it dirty. It's important to wash reusable masks daily — a clean-looking mask can be covered with particles, which can spread to your hands every time you take it off or put it on.

Follow the washing instructions that come with your mask. The CDC says it's fine to wash masks by hand and hang them to dry. Ideally, wash as you do your hands, with a minimum 20-second scrub with soapy water and a thorough rinse. Hand soap is fine, too; you don't need to travel with a special fabric detergent. 

Is it safer to fly or drive?

If you do need to travel, driving is generally safer than flying commercially, says Dr. Sanchez. If you drive, you have control over who shares the car with you, what measures are used for disinfecting surfaces, where you stop along the way, and when you return, she explained. 

However, we recognize that driving isn't realistic for every destination.

Just keep in mind that current science shows you're most likely to transmit or catch coronavirus just by being in close proximity to an infected person. That means airport lines are an issue (sitting on the plane much less so, as we'll explain below), as is driving with anyone not already in your household bubble.

If you do travel, regardless of your mode of transportation, it's important to be incredibly diligent with precautions.

Your driving safety plan

If you're driving, you don't need to wipe down your steering wheel and anything in your car, so long as you're careful to clean your hands before getting in. That means you should have hand sanitizer at the ready for after you use the gas pump and the public restroom, for example. 

Though it may be tempting to skip the public restrooms and just pull over for a side-of-the-road bathroom break, don't — it's illegal throughout the U.S. for many reasons, including that sewage needs to be treated properly to prevent the spread of diseases like cholera, E. coli, and salmonella. 

Instead, use public restrooms but minimize your exposure: Don't wait outside the indoor bathroom close to other people, especially if they're not wearing masks. Just wait outside for a stall to come free. If the toilet has a lid, close it to flush (there's evidence that coronavirus can be aerosolized by flushing). 

Additionally, Dr. Sanchez says to assume public restrooms are not properly disinfected, so you should "treat surfaces as if they have a live virus on them." That means wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and then use a paper towel to turn off the tap and open the door. If you do touch anything on your way out, use your minimum 60%-alcohol hand sanitizer after. 

Your airport safety plan

Airports, especially in lines at security or waiting to board, are risky because of the close proximity to other people. Wear your mask at all times and try to keep as much distance from others as you can. 

Since you're much more likely to contract COVID-19 through the air than by touching something, don't stress about taking your shoes off to get through security. Do wear socks though: "When you take off shoes to go through security, thousands of dirty soles have touched that surface," Dr. Malkin says. "Wear socks to protect your feet from a host of possible germs."

It's also wise to sanitize or wash your hands after you've touched security trays. 

As for the plane itself, airlines stepped up their disinfecting regimes. They use electrostatic foggers nightly, and sometimes between every flight, which spray a fine mist of disinfectant throughout the plane and the electrostatic charge causes it to stick to all surfaces, not just fall to the floor. Science now shows it's harder to catch COVID-19 from surfaces than first thought.

It's still wise to give everything in your seat area a wipe down with a disinfecting wipe like Clorox Ultra Clean Disinfecting Wipes. Do look for "disinfecting" on the label, too — a cleaning wipe rids your tray table of that splash of Coke but it won't kill any viruses. Settle into your seat and wipe down everything you're likely to touch: The seat belt, armrests, tray table, air vent, window shade handle, and all places you need to touch to operate the entertainment system. 

Then, give your hands a thorough clean with sanitizer. The TSA increased the size limit for sanitizer during the pandemic, so you're now allowed to bring one bottle of sanitizer up to 12 ounces in your carry-on bag. If you're flying internationally, note that some countries maintain the old three-ounce limit. 

You might be worried about sitting in an enclosed space for hours but the air on planes is cleaner than in most indoor places and each airlines' mandatory mask policies help protect everyone from any virus particles others may be breathing out. When a plane cruises, the cabin air refreshes every three to four minutes, 25% through HEPA filters that remove virtually all viruses and 75% fresh air from outside. If you need to eat or drink on a plane, it's wise to wait a few minutes after the people around you have put their masks back on before you take yours off.

Minimize moving around when on-board (that includes wrestling carry-on luggage in and out of the overhead bin). If you need to use the restroom, be sure to close the toilet lid before you flush. After washing your hands for 20 seconds and drying them, use a paper towel to unlock and open the door. Try to avoid touching seatbacks as you return to your own, and then sanitize your hands again if you've touched anything.  

After you land, you don't need to completely change your clothes before hopping into someone's car after your flight but certainly can if it makes you feel more comfortable. Dr. Aronoff adds that clothes won't transmit the virus to another surface (like the car seat) to then be picked up by and infect anyone else.

It's smart to avoid crowds around the baggage carousel, too — wait until space clears before you grab your bag. Give the handle of your luggage a quick wipe with a disinfectant wipe then stop in the restroom and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before you leave the airport.

You'll also want to check your destination's COVID-19 rules for arriving passengers. In addition to having a negative COVID-19 test, some require you to monitor your symptoms for up to two weeks, so you may need to pack a digital thermometer.

• US equities jumped on Tuesday after the General Services Administration's ascertainment of President-elect Joe Biden's victory lifted investor sentiments.
• The Dow Jones industrial average climbed above 30,000 for the first time, marking a rapid comeback from the index's low of 18,213 in March.
• The GSA announced on Monday that it would provide the "resources and services" needed to start Biden's transition to the White House. It was the clearest sign yet that the Trump campaign accepted its loss in the 2020 race.
• Bitcoin surged above $19,000 for the first time since 2017 and closed in on its all-time high of roughly $19,700.
• Oil futures erased most of their pandemic-induced losses and hit their highest levels since March. West Texas Intermediate crude jumped as much as 5%, to $45.20 per barrel.
• Watch major indexes update live here.

US stocks jumped on Tuesday as the start of the transition to a Biden administration spurred another rotation to cyclical stocks.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose above 30,000 for the first time ever. Boeing led the benchmark index higher, followed by Chevron and JPMorgan. The record capped a breakneck rebound from the start of the pandemic in March, when overwhelming bearishness dragged the index to as low as 18,213.

Here's where US indexes stood at the 4 p.m. ET close on Tuesday:

• S&P 500: 3,635.41, up 1.6%
• Dow Jones industrial average: 30,046.24, up 1.5% (455 points)
• Nasdaq composite: 12,036.79, up 1.3%

Read more: Morningstar's top stock pickers say these are the 10 highest-conviction stocks they recommend — and which top fund managers recently piled their money into

The General Services Administration's administrator said Monday that the agency would provide the "resources and services" necessary to begin President-elect Joe Biden's transition to the White House. The ascertainment came more than two weeks after major news outlets called the election for Biden.

The typically controversy-free process has been delayed largely by President Donald Trump's legal challenges to the election's outcome. The GSA's move was the closest the Trump campaign had come to conceding defeat, and it diminished political uncertainties lingering from Election Day. Still, Trump indicated in a tweet on Monday that his legal fights would continue.

Value and cyclical stocks outperformed as investors boosted bets on sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. Tech giants lagged behind the upswing and led the Nasdaq composite to modestly underperform.

Read more: A portfolio manager at $38 billion Baron Funds shares his checklist for investing in the most promising SPACs — and names 3 of the booming 'blank-check companies' he finds attractive now

Tuesday's gains followed a similarly fruitful session to start the week. Stocks gained on Monday following reports that Biden would pick former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen as his treasury secretary. If confirmed, Yellen will be the first woman to hold the position.

A positive update on Monday from trials of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine bolstered investor sentiments. Vaccine progress has boosted the so-called reopening trade as investors bet on airlines, hotels, and retailers to fully recover in the new year.

"The market is setting up for what could be a perfect storm for value and cyclical, supporting a continuation of the outperformance for these groups since the vaccine news started flowing three Mondays ago," said Lindsey Bell, the chief investment strategist for Ally Invest.

Read more: MORGAN STANLEY: Buy these 4 undervalued aerospace stocks that will each surge at least 20% in 2021

On the economic-data front, US home prices gained a record 3.1% through the third quarter amid historically low mortgage rates and robust demand, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Tuesday. Prices jumped 7.8% from the year-ago period.

The housing market has been a bright spot in the virus-slammed economy, and other indicators including homebuilder sentiment and housing starts have suggested prices will continue to climb into 2021.

Tesla surged as much as 7.3%, bringing its market capitalization above $500 billion for the first time. The automaker's latest rally cemented CEO Elon Musk as the world's second-richest person; he overtook the Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates on Monday.

Adding to the achievement-laden trading day, Bitcoin ripped above $19,000 for the first time since 2017, placing it just below its all-time high of roughly $19,700. The world's most popular cryptocurrency has rallied as Wall Street and Main Street expressed new interest in digital tokens and their use cases. The rally also lifted peer cryptocurrencies including Ethereum and XRP.

Read more: The investment chief at a $20 billion family office explains how he allocates assets for the ultra-wealthy — and shares 3 outperforming mutual fund managers on his buy list

The shift away from safe-haven and hedging assets dragged gold prices to their lowest since July. The precious metal fell as much as 2%, to $1,800.47 per ounce, at intraday lows.

The US dollar weakened against a basket of group-of-10 peers as Yellen's appointment spurred hopes for fiscal stimulus. Treasury yields wavered.

Oil futures hit their highest levels since March on lasting vaccine optimism. West Texas Intermediate crude jumped as much as 5%, to $45.20 per barrel. Brent crude, oil's international benchmark, gained 4.3%, to $48.03 per barrel, at intraday highs.

Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:

'We see tremendous value in private real assets': Here's how the world's biggest wealth manager recommends investors hunt for yield in 2021, including 3 alternatives to owning bonds

Hershey drove a record spike in cocoa prices after reportedly sourcing beans from the futures market instead of physical sellers

The US economy will shrink in the 1st quarter of 2021 as winter weather spurs virus resurgence, JPMorgan says

• Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is under consideration to serve in President-elect Joe Biden's administration as the Secretary of Transportation, according to a CNN report.
• Emanuel's handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting has upset a contingent of progressive Democratic lawmakers and threatens to halt any traction for the former Washington insider coming to work for Biden.
• As the furor grew, Crain's Chicago Business reported that Emanuel is being considered for US Trade Representative, a lower-profile government role.
• "It is shameful and concerning that he is even being considered," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, adding, "This is not about the 'visibility' of a post."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is reportedly under consideration to serve in President Joe Biden's administration, a development that has angered many progressive Democrats and could inflame relationships with incoming Black lawmakers.

On November 19, CNN reported that Emanuel's name was being floated for Secretary of Transportation, a Cabinet position that would put him back in the nexus of political power. He served as a White House senior advisor to then-President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1998, as an Illinois congressman from 2003 to 2009, and as White House chief of staff to then-President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2010.

However, Emanuel's tenure as Chicago's mayor, specifically his handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting, has caused consternation among many Democrats.

In 2014, McDonald, a 17-year-old Black teenager, was shot and killed by law enforcement as he walked away from police officers on a Chicago street. He was unarmed.

Amid growing backlash to Emanuel's consideration, Crain's Chicago Business reported that the Biden team recalibrated their original thinking and would pivot his name to the lower-profile role of US Trade Representative. Both of the positions would require Senate confirmation.

'Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership'

A group of progressive legislators, from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to Reps.-elect Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones, also of New York, tore into Emanuel being regarded for any role in the administration.

"What is so hard to understand about this?" Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald. Covering up a murder is disqualifying for public leadership. This is not about the 'visibility' of a post. It is shameful and concerning that he is even being considered."

—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 23, 2020

She added: "It is also a truly embarrassing indictment of what's considered 'center' politics in the US that objecting to the appointment of an official who helped cover up the murder of a Black child is deemed the 'progressive, far left' position."

Bowman, a longtime educator who defeated longtime Democratic congressman Eliot Engel in a party primary earlier this year, was unequivocal in his disapproval of Emanuel.

"Rahm Emanuel should not be considered for any position within the Biden administration," he tweeted.

Jones, a 33-year-old attorney who will soon represent many of New York City's northern suburbs, also expressed personal disappointment in Emanuel's possible political return.

"Rahm Emanuel covered up the murder of a Black teenager, Laquan McDonald, while he was Mayor of Chicago," he tweeted. "That he's being considered for a cabinet position is completely outrageous and, honestly, very hurtful."

—Mondaire Jones (@MondaireJones) November 21, 2020

Emanuel being considered for a Cabinet role leaves Black people feeling 'devalued'

Bowman backed up Jones by saying that such actions show why Black voters often feel disrespected by the political ruling class, despite consistently powering Democratic presidential victories.

"This is why Black people continued to feel devalued in our party and country," he added. "We have to do much much better."

—Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) November 23, 2020

The ramifications of the McDonald murder rocked Chicago and the nation, becoming one of the most blatant cases of police misconduct in recent years.

In October 2019, Jason Van Dyke, the white officer who fired 16 shots into McDonald's back, was convicted of second-degree murder in the teenager's death. In January 2020, he was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison. 

A report released by the city's inspector general revealed that 16 officers were involved in a cover-up of McDonald's murder. The report accused the officers of providing false statements "to exaggerate the threat McDonald posed."

The city's concealment of a video recording showing the murder was a main focus of the incident, especially as Emanuel was seeking a second term as mayor in 2015. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, "attorneys for the city fought against the release of the video that showed the 17-year-old's 2014 murder, only to have a Cook County judge order its release months after Emanuel had secured his second term in a runoff election."

"Such 'code of silence' cover-ups of misconduct, [Chicago Police Department] critics said, had rarely been made so plain as in the discrepancy between the officers' accounts of the killing and what the video later showed," The New York Times added.

Having squandered support, Emanuel didn't run for mayor a third time

Emanuel was reelected in 2015, but he never recovered politically, having seen his support crater among Black voters. He declined to run for a third term and was succeeded by Lori Lightfoot, who became Chicago's first Black female mayor in April 2019.

The news of Emanuel's possible political resurrection in Washington, DC, comes at a critical junction for Democrats.

With the party set to hold a much narrower majority in the House of Representatives and control of the Senate up for grabs pending the results of two January runoff elections in Georgia, they can ill afford any mass defections or disunity in the early days of the Biden administration.

While Biden has already made a slew of key national security picks, including Antony Blinken as his nominee for Secretary of State and Alejandro Mayorkas as his nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, the majority of his domestic Cabinet picks are expected to be revealed through the end of November and into December.

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• GameStop's Black Friday countdown event began on November 14, and the official GameStop Black Friday sale begins online on November 25 at 9 p.m. ET.
• In addition to all the deals, GameStop stores will sell PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S consoles in limited supply on Black Friday.
• GameStop locations will open at 7 a.m. on Black Friday for in-store shopping with extended hours, and the sale will continue through November 29.
• Check out Insider Reviews' Black Friday 2020 deals and best Black Friday tech deals for more savings.

GameStop has detailed its upcoming Black Friday sale, which comes on the tail end of the biggest console launches in history for Xbox and PlayStation. The new PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X will be the most highly sought items in GameStop stores on Black Friday, but shoppers can also save on dozens of games and accessories in the lead-up to the annual shopping holiday.

GameStop's Black Friday event began with a countdown sale on November 14, and the retailer will continue to add new deals through November 29. In addition to video games, consoles, and accessories, GameStop sells clothing and collectibles, so it could be an ideal place to shop for the geeks on your holiday gift list.

GameStop will also have Nintendo Switch bundles available; the portable console has been incredibly popular amid social distancing, making it a rare find for most of the year. Switch games, like "Super Mario Maker 2" and "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, are already discounted.

Gamers who plan on upgrading to a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X can still buy games for PS4 or Xbox One on disc and play them on the new consoles. Nearly all PS4 and Xbox One games are backwards compatible on the next-gen consoles, and a few already have upgraded graphics on the new systems.

GameStop Black Friday deals available now

GameStop's Black Friday countdown sale is already underway, offering deals on more than a dozen games and lots of accessories. As part of the promotion, select games are now up to 50% off.

For Nintendo Switch, GameStop is offering $20 off "Super Mario Maker 2," "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening," and "Luigi's Mansion 3," as well as $30 off "Yoshi's Crafted World," "Mario Tennis Aces," and "Fire Emblem: Three Houses."

Some of the best PlayStation 4 games released during 2020 are on sale too — "The Last of Us Part II" is $30, "Final Fantasy VII Remake" is $35, and "Ghost of Tsushima" is $40 right now. "Watch Dogs Legion," which just came out last month, is already available for $23 off its full price. 

In addition, all Funko Pop! Vinyl toys and board games are discounted by 25%. GameStop is also offering a "buy one get one free" deal on all apparel, and 20% off branded merchandise from Marvel, Star Wars, Minecraft, and Fortnite.

Best upcoming GameStop Black Friday deals

When Black Friday arrives, GameStop will offer "doorbuster" deals on even more games, and stores will sell the newly released next-gen video game consoles — PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X — in limited quantities. 

Starting on November 25 at 9 p.m., "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla" will be on sale for $48, which is a 20% discount just weeks after its November 10 release. "Resident Evil 3 Remake," the fan-favorite horror game that launched in March, will be on sale for 50% off. Another fun remake, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2," will be on sale for $10 off.

Black Friday will also bring lower prices on many of the games already included in GameStop's early countdown sale, including "Watch Dogs: Legion" and "Star Wars: Squadrons." Nintendo Switch games, like "New Super Mario Bros. Deluxe" and " Yoshi's Crafted World," will be available for $27.

While the Nintendo Switch has been hard to buy this year, GameStop will have a $300 Switch bundle with a free copy of "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and three months of Nintendo Switch Online. A second $300 Switch bundle will be available with a set of four "Super Mario" themed drinking glasses. The Switch bundle with the glasses may not be as exciting as the "Mario Kart 8" package, but it'll probably stay in stock longer.

GameStop has made its full Black Friday ad listing available if you want to see everything that's on sale. We've highlighted some of the best deals to look forward to below. Just keep in mind, the following deals aren't expected to be available until November 25 at 9 p.m. ET.

When Does GameStop's Black Friday sale start?

GameStop's early Black Friday sales event began with a two-week countdown sale on November 14.

The official GameStop Black Friday sale will be available online first, starting at 9 p.m. ET on November 25. GameStop stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and open at 7 a.m. on November 27. In-store sales will continue through November 29 at 6 p.m.

It's unclear if GameStop will offer any special deals for Cyber Monday, though the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday are two of the most popular days of the year for online shopping.

Can you shop at GameStop in person this year?

GameStop is allowing customers to shop in-stores, and there will be a limited number of PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S consoles available for purchase.

GameStop doesn't have curbside pick-up, but online orders can be picked up in stores, and customers in some areas can receive same-day deliveries.

GameStop hours during Black Friday weekend

• Friday, November 27, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, November 28, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is moving $455 billion in unspent stimulus money into a fund that the incoming Biden administration cannot deploy without Congress, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. 
• It would leave Mnuchin's likely successor Janet Yellen with only $80 billion in relief funds at her discretion.
• Experts say Mnuchin's move greatly limits the tools available to a Biden administration to manage the economic fallout of the pandemic.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is moving $455 billion in unspent stimulus money into a fund that the incoming Biden administration cannot deploy without Congress, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. 

That amount includes money that Mnuchin is yanking from the Federal Reserve and unused loans for companies. The funds will be deposited into the Treasury's General Fund, which requires legislative approval to use the money elsewhere. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move, experts say, would likely undercut the ability of Mnuchin's likely successor Janet Yellen from restarting the Fed's lending programs at a similar scale early next year. Instead, she will have only $80 billion at her discretion.

Ernie Tedeschi, policy economist at Evercore ISI, called Mnuchin's decision "a dangerous move" as the US economy faces a perilous moment in the pandemic.

"It's one more enormous risk we are piling onto the winter in the US atop of other risks already there," Tedeschi told Business Insider. "We may need that backstop again as cases have now blown through their prior peaks, state and local governments are making cuts, and we're about to kick off millions of people from unemployment insurance."

Bharat Ramamurti, a Democratic member of a congressional panel overseeing the funds, blasted the move. "This is Treasury's latest ham-handed effort to undermine the Biden Administration," he wrote on Twitter. "The good news is that it's illegal and can be reversed next year."

The development comes after Mnuchin recently announced he was not extending most of the Fed's emergency lending programs past December 31, including those supporting markets for corporate bonds and another providing loans to medium-sized businesses and state governments.

The treasury and central bank jointly operate the lending programs under the CARES Act which Congress approved in March. The pandemic relief law doesn't mandate Mnuchin to move the money into the Treasury's General Fund — it could keep it within easy reach for President-elect Joe Biden in another pot of money until 2026.

Mnuchin also requested Fed Chair Jerome Powell return unspent stimulus money last week. He objected and said the lending programs should continue, sparking a rare public clash between two figures that had collaborated closely to contain the economic devastation from the pandemic. The Fed later said in a letter it would return the funds.

Mnuchin then called on Congress to repurpose the unspent money, and he drew support from Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"We don't need this money to buy corporate bonds. We need this money to go help small businesses that are still closed or hurt, no fault of their own," he told CNBC last week. "Or people who are gonna be on unemployment that's running out."

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• You don't have to wait until November 27 to score great deals from Walmart. Favorites like Instant Pots and Nest Hubs are already available at discounted prices.
• We're seeing similar deals for these products and more at competing retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
• See more: How to get a free 15-day trial of Walmart Plus, Walmart's Amazon Prime-like membership.
• Insider Reviews is covering all the best deals during Black Friday 2020 and Cyber Monday 2020.

Walmart is rolling out new Black Friday deals all week, and some of the most popular products are already discounted. We found deals on Instant Pots, Google Nest and Home products, Samsung TVs, and more. 

A particular stand-out in this batch of deals is the Google Home Max at its lowest price ever of $149, down from its normal price of $299. Best Buy and Verizon are also price-matching this deal in case it sells out at Walmart. Last year, we saw it go on sale for $199, but this is the first time Google's most powerful speaker has dipped below the $150 mark. I've been using the Google Home Max for about two and a half years and can personally speak to its excellent sound quality, but be warned that it can have trouble connecting to certain Bluetooth devices. At $149, it's well worth the pickup and can easily be integrated into your Google Assistant-compatible setup.

The Google Nest Hub Max is also seeing a price drop from $229 to $179 (a $50 savings). While its speaker isn't as powerful as the Home Max, it makes up for it with its large 10-inch display that can be used for video calls, home security, web surfing, and streaming. Read our full review of the Hub Max here.

Also headlining Walmart's current sales are deals on Instant Pots including the Instant Pot DUO 60, which we've determined to the best Instant Pot you can buy. It's on sale for $79 — $20 off its normal price of $99. Other deals include 50% off the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with an air fryer attachment lid (down to $79 from $149) and 50% off the 6-Quart Instant Pot VIVA (down to $49 from $100). But to be honest, these are pretty run-of-the-mill sale prices for Instant Pots that we see during most major holidays. If you're hoping to save even more, it might be worth it to hold out until Friday to see if there's a further dip.

Best early Black Friday 2020 deals from Walmart

• Get up to 50% off women's clothing
• Get up to 40% off men's clothing
• Get up to 40% off baby and kid's clothing
• Get up to 40% off shoes

How we select the best Black Friday deals at Walmart

• We only choose products that meet our high standard of coverage, from brands we've tested and trust.
• We compare the prices against other retailers like Amazon, Target, and Best Buy and only include the deals that are the same or better (not including promotional discounts that come from using certain credit cards).
• We research price history thoroughly, to ensure that every deal we list is actually worth your time.

• Human rights groups and progressives have expressed concern about President-elect Joe Biden's pick for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines.
• Haines played a key role in the Obama administration's controversial drone program, and critics have also zeroed in on her actions related to the Senate Intelligence Committee's torture report. 
• David Segal, executive director at Demand Progress, told Insider that Haines' record is "incredibly concerning" and "must be reckoned with during the confirmation process."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President-elect Joe Biden has received applause across the political spectrum over his picks for top foreign policy and national security roles in his incoming administration. But human rights groups and progressives have expressed concern about his choice for director of national intelligence (DNI), Avril Haines. 

Haines, a former deputy CIA director who would be the first woman to serve as the top US spy chief if confirmed, played a central role in crafting the legal framework surrounding the Obama administration's controversial, secretive drone war.

As a widely-cited 2013 Newsweek profile put it: "Haines was sometimes summoned in the middle of the night to weigh in on whether a suspected terrorist could be lawfully incinerated by a drone strike."

"My concerns about her are more my concerns about the Obama administration," Andrea J. Prasow, the deputy Washington director of Human Rights Watch, told the New York Times. "With these cabinet picks, we are returning to the previous administration instead of making bold and forward-leaning picks."

But Prasow also praised Haines' collegiality, saying she is "one of the nicest people I have ever met, and probably the nicest person I've ever met who worked for the US government."

Drones were in many ways the centerpiece of former President Barack Obama's approach to counterterrorism. Obama entered the White House at a time when Americans wanted to reduce boots on the ground in foreign wars, but still viewed terrorism as a major threat that needed to be addressed. Weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or armed drones, offered an ostensible solution. 

Though the use of drones in the war on terror began under former President George W. Bush, the practice increased dramatically under Obama. 

The Obama administration faced heavy criticism from human rights groups and progressives over civilian casualties linked to the drone strikes. Obama often faced pressure over the dubious legal justifications and overall lack of transparency surrounding the strikes.

As Insider recently reported, there were a total of 563 strikes, primarily by drones, conducted in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen during Obama's two terms, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, killing between 384 and 807 civilians. There were 10 times more covert air strikes as part of the war on terror under Obama than Bush, according to the Bureau, which has tracked US drone strikes for years. 

Some progressives and critics have accused Haines of complicity in the CIA's use of torture or "enhanced interrogation techniques" after 9/11. She recommended Gina Haspel for CIA director, though Haspel has been implicated in the agency's use of torture. Haines is also remembered for redacting the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on the use of torture, and for approving a panel that ultimately decided not to reprimand CIA personnel who spied on the committee's investigators. 

"The Democratic Party has prided itself on generally standing in opposition to torture, yet Haines sought to minimize public access to the Torture Report, overruled the CIA's Inspector General by choosing not to discipline the CIA personnel who hacked the Senate's torture investigators, and even advocated for Gina Haspel — who oversaw torture — to be CIA director under Trump, during the middle of a contentious confirmation battle," David Segal, executive director at Demand Progress, told Insider.

"This record is incredibly concerning and must be reckoned with during the confirmation process," Segal added.

Daniel J. Jones, who spearheaded the Senate Intelligence Committee's inquiry into the CIA's use of torture, on Monday expressed disapproval of Biden tapping Haines to be DNI. 

"Today, in @just_security, I urged the Biden Administration to reject personnel complicit in torture, as well as those who frustrated accountability for the torture program. Hours later, Biden announced Avril Haines as his choice for Director of National Intelligence (DNI)," Jones tweeted on Monday after the Biden transition team released a list of his picks for top roles. 

"In any confirmation, the Senate should review Haines' decision to hold no CIA personnel accountable for the CIA's efforts to thwart and undermine the Senate's research, writing, and publication of the 2014 Senate 'Torture Report,'" Jones added.

Emma Vigeland, a co-host at the progressive-leaning political talk show the Majority Report, tweeted that Haines is Biden's "most problematic pick yet."

"The others range from good to establishment-neutral. Haines crafted Obama's drone program. She protected torturers," Vigeland went on to say. "She backed Gina Haspel, as well as the CIA officers who interfered in the Senate's torture investigation."

An official on Biden's transition team defended Haines' record in comments to Insider, stating, "Avril has been a consistent voice of moral clarity, including strongly opposing the Bush administration's interrogation practices. She believes they must never be reconstituted in any form and under any circumstances."

The official also said Haines is a proponent of greater transparency in national security, adding that is why she "sought to ensure there were only minimal redactions to the Senate's public report, which ultimately was the case."

It makes no difference to Haines whether torture is effective or not, the official went on to say, because she views it as "immoral" and a practice that must be "rejected or it will undermine the very fabric of our culture and the respect we hold for each other."

On the subject of drones, the official said Haines' was the "driving force" behind establishing a "rigorous legal and policy framework" that greatly limited the circumstances under which "such an extraordinary measure would be deemed acceptable."

The standards Haines pushed for "reined in America's drone operations and spared civilian life," according to the official, who cited her involvement in a 2016 executive order from Obama designed to protect civilians and increase transparency surrounding drone strikes. The Trump administration largely abandoned these changes. 

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It's easy to get overwhelmed by the mass of Black Friday deals that November brings every year. This year, the event falls on November 27, during which you can expect to see major players like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy to drop tons of excellent deals alongside retail startups we love, like Leesa, Brooklinen, Bombas, and Tommy John.

We're keeping track of all the online stores participating in Black Friday 2020 to help you plan out your shopping hitlist before the event rolls around. Check back for updates as more deals are released throughout the week. 

• President Donald Trump only spoke for a minute at a surprise news conference on Tuesday.
• He arrived at the White House briefing room alongside Vice President Mike Pence, praised the stock market, commented on the coronavirus vaccine, and left without fielding questions from reporters.
• "The stock market's just broken 30,000. Never been broken, that number. That's a sacred number: 30,000. Nobody thought they'd ever see it," the president said.
• This is only the third time since November 3 that Trump has spoken from the White House press briefing room. He's mostly stayed out of the public eye after being trounced in the election.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump spoke for only one minute at a news conference on Tuesday — potentially his shortest one ever.

Upon arriving at the White House press briefing room, the president praised the Dow Jones Industrial Average's historic gains, made a comment about the coronavirus vaccine, and then walked out without taking any questions. Vice President Mike Pence stood beside him but did not speak.

"The stock market's just broken 30,000. Never been broken, that number. That's a sacred number: 30,000. Nobody thought they'd ever see it," Trump said. "That's the ninth time since the beginning of 2020, and it's the 48th time that we've broken records during the Trump administration. And I just want to congratulate all the people within the administration that worked so hard."  

—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2020

Reporters, who were only given brief notice that the presser was going to begin, tried to get their questions in as Trump stepped out. He ignored them.

"Well, that was weird as s---," one reporter said about the scene shortly after Trump left.

—The Recount (@therecount) November 24, 2020

This is only the third time Trump has spoken from the briefing lectern since the election on November 3. He has not answered questions from the press in the past three weeks and has largely stayed out of the public eye following his loss.

The president's impromptu appearance come after his administration on Monday evening announced that it would formally began the transition process with President-elect Joe Biden's team. General Services Administration head Emily Murphy pledged to release "resources and services" to Biden's transition team.

Also on Monday, Biden announced former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as his pick for Treasury Secretary. Reports noted that both of the moves on Monday prompted stocks to jump afterward.

Yet Trump seemed to take credit for the rising stocks at the briefing. He did not mention the transition process nor concede defeat to Biden.

"Remember, the GSA has been terrific, and Emily Murphy has done a great job, but the GSA does not determine who the next President of the United States will be," Trump tweeted Tuesday morning.

• President-elect Joe Biden is reportedly giving serious consideration to selecting Michèle Flournoy, a former Obama administration official, as secretary of defense.
• Flournoy would be the first woman to hold that job, but she would bring with her old thinking about the world and the US's role in it, writes Defense Priorities fellow and retired US Army Col. Daniel L. Davis.
• This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

According to numerous media reports, President-elect Joe Biden is giving serious consideration to selecting Michèle Flournoy, a former Obama administration official, as Secretary of Defense. Based on her track record, Flournoy would neither serve Biden nor the country well.

Regardless of who Biden eventually selects, his next Pentagon chief should be someone who recognizes the world we live in today is different than the one we inherited after the Cold War.

Flournoy may look impressive on paper. She was the third highest ranking official in the Department of Defense during President Barack Obama's first term, serving as under secretary of defense for policy and formerly the chief executive officer of the influential Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

But throughout her tenure in the Obama administration, Flournoy was often wrong on key matters of war and peace. In 2011, for example, she testified before the House Armed Services Committee that Obama's Afghan surge was working.

"Our strategy is working," Flournoy confidently stated, and that "over 140,000" US and NATO forces in Afghanistan were placing "relentless pressure on the insurgents and regaining more and more critical territory."

I was an Army officer stationed on the ground in Afghanistan at the time and I knew that claim to be entirely false, as I revealed in a detailed report the following year.

Events in the nine years since her claims have exposed the reality that the Afghanistan strategy was never working, as the Taliban today owns or contests more territory than at any time since 2001, the Afghan government remains hopelessly corrupt, and the country produces upwards of 84% of the world's opium which effectively funds Taliban operations.

Flournoy is hardly alone in holding such conventional and mistaken views, however.

Many senior defense officials and personalities in America today gained the bulk of their understanding, knowledge, and experience in the midst of the Cold War and the aftermath of 9/11. While Washington is intensely divided on a range of domestic issues, there is remarkable unity when it comes to foreign policy — to our collective detriment.

Whether Bush's war of choice in Iraq and conversion of the Afghan war into a nation-building operation, Obama's decision to expand the war in Afghanistan and engage in extra-constitutional military forays into Libya, Syria, and Yemen, or Trump's expansion of military operations in Syria, Iraq, and numerous locations in Africa, the consistent theme of senior defense officials has been to rely on the use or threat of lethal military power against our presumed opponents and to minimize diplomacy.

The result has been the perpetuation of a series of forever wars around the world, the overuse of our armed forces, and a paranoid inflation of terror threats abroad. It is time to acknowledge the strategies of the past have failed and that new ways of thinking are needed for the future.

The president-elect will have to be careful, however, not to automatically jettison every action or policy enacted by Trump. For example, at various points in his Administration, Trump promised he would withdraw American troops from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Though he reduced the number of troops in each, Trump never ended any of the forever wars he inherited. America would be well-served if Biden made good on Trump's aspirations.

Biden should nominate a secretary of defense that recognizes this reality and will break from the fundamental failures of the past by adopting a strategy that can succeed. At its core, a strategy based on domestic and global realities that could result in real gains for America would include three key pillars.

First, acknowledge that the series of forever wars have not only failed to improve our security but have demonstrably weakened it. America's unmatched combination of nuclear and conventional military power provides the foundation that will deter all possible opponents from launching unprovoked attacks against our country.

Second, prioritize where we spend our defense dollars based on vital national interests and set objectives that are attainable and cost-effective. Fighting unnecessary conflicts throughout the Middle East and North Africa that have no bearing — one way or the other — on US national security are a waste of treasure and an unacceptable sacrifice of our military personnel.

Third, elevate diplomacy as the primary instrument with which we engage the world, reserving the application of lethal military power only when it is absolutely necessary to prevent enemy attack (or respond to an unprovoked attack already underway).

It is crucial that Biden's incoming foreign policy team breaks with the failure of the past several decades. He should jettison what hasn't worked, reinforce what has, and have the courage and leadership necessary to launch out in new directions to the benefit of our country.

Daniel L. Davis is a retired US Army colonel who served multiple tours in Afghanistan. He is a fellow with Defense Priorities. Follow him @DanielLDavis1

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Cyber Monday may come second to Black Friday chronologically, but in terms of deal quality, the two are equals. Both big-box retailers and direct-to-consumer startups turn up in a big way for Cyber Monday, with excellent prices in every category, including tech, smart home gear, home appliances, fashion, and much more. 

Amongst all of the hustle and bustle, it can get overwhelming to sort through all of the sales going on in celebration of the event. Below, we've put together the best Cyber Monday sales from retailers we trust — and we'll update it as we find more. Whether you're prepping your game plan ahead of time or just tuning in on November 30, you can find every Cyber Monday sale worth looking at, below.

• YouTube has suspended the conservative media outlet OANN from posting videos and monetizing its content for a week after it posted a video promoting a fake COVID-19 cure.
• The site's policies prohibit users from posting content that claims there is a guaranteed cure for the coronavirus disease.
• The suspension comes as misinformation surrounding the pandemic and the 2020 presidential election continues to proliferate the online world.
• Social media platforms have attempted to crack down on misinformation by flagging or removing posts, many of which are published by Republicans, prompting conservatives to launch accusations of anti-conservative bias at tech companies.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

YouTube is temporarily suspending One America News Network (OANN) from the platform after the conservative media outlet uploaded a video promoting a fake COVID-19 cure.

OANN is temporarily prohibited from both posting new videos and being able to make money off of existing videos for a week. It will have to reapply for YouTube's monetization feature, according to Axios, which first reported the news.

In a statement to Business Insider, YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi said: "After careful review, we removed a video from OANN and issued a strike on the channel for violating our COVID-19 misinformation policy, which prohibits content claiming there's a guaranteed cure. Additionally, due to repeated violations of our COVID-19 misinformation policy and other channel monetization policies, we've suspended the channel from the YouTube Partner Program and as a result, its monetization on YouTube."

YouTube said the time-out comes in the form of a "strike" against OANN for violating its COVID-19 misinformation policy, which instructs users not to post content that claims a vaccine for the disease is available or that there's a guaranteed cure. This is OANN's first strike, and if it receives two more, the account will be deactivated. OANN has violated YouTube's COVID-19 misinformation policy before, which is why the suspension came in the form of a strike instead of a warning, Axios reported.

YouTube said in mid-October that it would start banning content that contradicts facts from the World Health Organization and local health authorities regarding the coronavirus disease. Unfounded claims include saying COVID-19 vaccines would kill people or cause infertility.

And Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube's parent company, Google, said last week that they're teaming up to help stop the spread of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines with a British fact-checking charity organization. However, that pledge was only for Canada, the UK, and several other nations — the US government is not participating in the coordinated effort.

YouTube's suspension of OANN comes on the same day that Senate Democrats wrote a joint letter imploring YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki to crack down on election misinformation surrounding the Georgia runoff.

Social media platforms have faced rampant spread of misinformation relating to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election this year and have rolled out individual efforts to combat misleading content.

Read more: How Mark Zuckerberg's competitiveness and attempts to keep Facebook politically neutral turned it into a haven for misinformation and conspiracy theories that can swing elections

Tech platforms have flagged or removed posts published by conservative outlets and figures, including President Donald Trump, prompting conservatives to levy accusations of anti-right bias at tech companies.

Republican lawmakers have grilled tech CEOs over alleged discrimination at congressional hearings. But as Emma Ruby-Sachs, executive director of the consumer watchdog group SumOfUS, told Business Insider in a previous interview, the fake news spreaders routinely happen to be Republicans.

And right-leaning content statically dominates online — Facebook's top-performing posts regularly come from conservative outlets and figures, like Fox News.