Technology is changing the way we drive.

This is a story we're told seemingly every day. The main characters are Tesla, Uber, Lyft, and lately, even the major automakers, who are pushing the envelope on electric cars and autonomous vehicles. The plot goes like this: In a few decades, driving a car will be to the 21st century what riding a horse was the 20th.

It's a compelling narrative. But then again, there are still some people who want to ride horses.

And there will probably always be some people who want to drive a car.

For those folks, Chevrolet has produced a smashingly good machine, the Chevy SS. Sadly, because the market for a stonking, ill-mannered rear-wheel-drive sedan is limited — and because GM is shuttering production at its Holden division in Australia, where the SS originates, Chevy is discontinuing the model. The SS will now join its predecessor, the Pontiac G8 GXP, on that great open road in the sky.

But not right away. We got our hands on a 2017 Chevy SS and piloted it around New York and New Jersey for a few days. To say that we were in automotive Elysium for the whole time would be an understatement. 

Here's why we feel in love with this rude beast:

SEE ALSO: The Jaguar XE 35T is something special — but it's up against some tough competition

The beast landed at our suburban New Jersey test complex in the waning days of winter. Phantom Black Metallic was the exterior, and the interior got Jet Black leather. It's basically impossible to get the SS to cost you $50,000. All optioned up, ours came in at about $48,000.

The styling is epically subdued. Yes, the SS has a burly presentation, but any of number of BMW M-Sport cars are far more in-your-face.

To be honest, you could be easily forgiven for calling the SS boring. It looks like a basic GM sedan that's been slightly bulked up, with some added touches here and there to identify is as a member of the SS family, which once included Pontiacs, back before GM killed the brand. "SS," by the way, stands for "Super Sport."

It seems as though we can pay people to do anything for us these days: walk our dogs, build our furniture, organize our homes ... cuddle with us when we're feeling lonely.

That's right: You can hire a professional cuddler to snuggle with you for about $60 an hour. You can also pay an "undercover bridesmaid" to stand next to you on your big day, or a professional mourner to cry with you at a loved one's funeral.

Those are just a few of the weirdest jobs we found while compiling our list of the most unusual professionals. 

Keep scrolling to see all 17.

SEE ALSO: The 25 highest-paying jobs in America in 2017

SEE ALSO: 15 important jobs women have yet to hold in the US

Snake milker

Snake milkers extract venom from some of the world's most dangerous snakes, like rattlesnakes and cobras. The extracted venom is often used to create antivenom for hospital or laboratory use, and can be sold for up to $1,000 per gram.

Odor judge

Odor judges perform odor tests to rate the effectiveness of hygiene products like soaps and bodywashes, deodorant, and mouthwashes. Depending on what products are being studied,  judges smell subjects' armpits, feet, or breath and rate their odors on a scale of one to 10.

During one odor tester's 15-year career she sniffed approximately 5,600 feet and an indeterminate number of armpits, for which she won the Guiness World Record for most feet and armpits sniffed.

Professional bridesmaid

Professional bridesmaid Jen Glantz is the cofounder of Bridesmaid for Hire, a company that offers 'undercover bridesmaid' and personal assistant-type services to brides and their wedding parties.

"Essentially I'm there as the bride's personal assistant and on-call therapist,"Glanz tells Business Insider. "I help her manage and execute her personal to-do list of tasks, which can often be over 100 tasks long."

She charges anywhere from $300 to $2,000 per wedding.

The INSIDER Summary:

• A new report shows how much it costs to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the world's 30 leading financial centers.
• Of those 30 cities, Casablanca is the cheapest place to rent, with the average cost being $820/month.
• New York City is the most expensive, with the average rent priced at $3,680/month.

Millennials so badly want to live in cities that some have resorted to living in vans, shipping containers, and even a crate in someone else's living room to save money on rent.

A new report from RENTCafé showing the cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the world's 30 leading financial centers proves just how expensive living in a big city can be.

Analysts at the apartment-listing site sifted through global housing market data to find the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom abode, measuring between 600 and 999 square feet.

Here are their findings, ranked from the least to most expensive.

30. Casablanca, Morocco

Average cost of rent: $820/month

29. Montreal, Canada

Average cost of rent: $850/month

28. Taipei, Taiwan

Average cost of rent: $910/month

We're all familiar with them — foods that we think are healthy because we heard about them on the news or from a health-conscious friend.

And no matter how much we may dislike them, we keep buying them because we think they're good for us.

Take swapping dairy milk for almond milk. Is liquid from nuts really nutritionally superior to milk from a cow? Or splurging on Himalayan sea salt. Healthy habit or a bit of nonsense?

We asked Andy Bellatti— a registered dietitian and the cofounder of Dietitians for Professional Integrity— for advice about which "health foods" are actually not worth eating.

SEE ALSO: I woke up at dawn to dance sober for 3 hours before work — and I've already signed up to do it again

DON'T MISS: What the author of 'Eat Fat, Get Thin' eats — and avoids — every day

Multivitamins

Nearly half of American adults take vitamins every day. Yet decades' worth of research hasn't found any justification for this pill-popping habit.

We do need small amounts of vitamins to survive, of course — without vitamins such as A, C, and E, for example, we'd have a hard time turning food into energy, and could develop conditions like rickets or scurvy. But research shows we get more than enough of these substances from what we eat, so there's no need for a pill.

Almond butter

Everything from Gwyneth Paltrow's daily breakfast smoothie to the grocery store around the corner now seems to have almond butter, but the stuff is incredibly pricey. We asked Bellatti whether there's any reason to use almond butter instead of plain old peanut butter, which is about four times less expensive.

"It can just be peanut butter!" Bellatti said. "If the only ingredients are peanuts and salt, that totally works. It's still going to have your protein, healthy fats, and vitamin E."

Juice

When you juice fresh fruits and veggies, you remove their fiber, the key ingredient that keeps you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal.

What you keep is the sugar. In the short term, a high-sugar, low-protein diet means hunger pangs, mood swings, and low energy. In the long term, you can lose muscle mass, since muscles rely on protein.

Even die-hard iPhone fans have to admit that the AMOLED displays on other phones, particularly those from Samsung, look better than the LCD screens on iPhones.

But if the rumors are true, iPhone fans may no longer need to concede bragging rights to other phone screens, as Apple is reportedly looking to use a form of OLED display on the next iPhone. Just prepare your wallet, because OLED isn't cheap.

But that's just one of the rumors we're hearing. Check out all the latest scuttlebutt surrounding Apple's next iPhone.

SEE ALSO: Here's why you should always hold your iPhone in your right hand when making a call

1. There WILL be an S model of the iPhone 7.

A Barclays report obtained by MacRumors said Apple would skip the S model this year, which has historically followed each new phone version. The report claimed Apple would instead jump directly from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 8 — or possibly even call it iPhone 10, since 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone — this year.

Now, however, it appears we should expect S models of the iPhone 7 coming later this year, with updates to the processor and a new red color option, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and the Japanese Apple blog MacOtakara, which are both highly reliable sources.

2. In addition to the new S models, Apple will sell a third "high-end" iPhone.

A report from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would release a "high-end" iPhone with a larger 5.8-inch screen, compared with the iPhone 7 Plus's 5.5-inch screen. Many are calling this premium phone "the iPhone 8."

More recent reports claim the iPhone 8 will have a smaller 5.1- or 5.2-inch curved screen that will wrap around the edges of the device. It sounds like a similar design concept as the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. To add more uncertainty to the mix, 9to5Mac says it'll have a 5.5-inch screen. 

So, it seems certain that Apple will release a new high-end iPhone model with some radical design tweaks, but no one can decide what size screen it'll have.

3. Regardless of its display size, a growing number of analysts say the iPhone 8 actually won't feature a curved screen after all.

IHS Markit analyst Wayne Lam told MacRumors in March that he anticipates "Apple will adopt a flat implementation of OLED design on their special iPhone model," which directly contradicted a previous report that said the high-end iPhone would feature a curved wraparound display. We're inclined to believe the flat-screen rumor.

Big or small, decisions aren't as easy as they may seem.

Psychologists have found decision-making is fraught with hidden influences, tricky nuances, and the ability to make us happy in the short-term but unhappy in the long-term.

Some of my greatest insights into this aspect of human behavior have come from TED talks, which break down research findings into their most digestible form.

Here are the talks that have changed how I make decisions.

SEE ALSO: After watching over 50 TED talks, these are the insights that have stuck with me most

"How to make hard choices"

Philosopher Ruth Chang's 2013 talk explains that people often struggle to choose between two equally good options that are "on a par."

People tend to view hard choices as burdens, but Chang would prefer we see them as blessings that grant us agency. Hard choices make us confront our desire to live in the city over the country, for example, or to eat a healthy breakfast over sugary cereal.

The takeaway: Whenever I face a hard choice, I celebrate it as a way to cement an aspect of my identity.

"Grit: The power of passion and perseverance"

In 2013, UPenn psychologist Angela Duckworth presented the findings of her research on grit — or the ability to keep trucking when life gets hard.

Duckworth has found across numerous fields that grit is the single-biggest indicator of personal and professional success, even more than IQ. And the best way to cultivate grit is to build a "growth mindset" that sees circumstances are flexible, not rigid.

The takeaway: The moment when things start getting tough is the starting point for success, not a sign to call it quits.

"The paradox of choice"

In Barry Schwartz's 2005 talk, the Swarthmore College psychologist reviews research that says people are misled in thinking they should want as much choice as possible, whether it's the number of salad dressings at the supermarket or clothing styles at the mall.

It's actually possible to get worn out from making so many tiny choices throughout the day. It's called decision fatigue, and it can detract from the many important choices you need to make, whether at home or at work.

The takeaway: I limit my number of choices on purpose, because I know I'll be happier with my decision once I make it.

Beware the Ides of March!

On this day — March 15 — in 44 BCE, Julius Caesar had a pretty bad day at work. The dictator of Rome was lured to a meeting and stabbed to death by his coworkers.

Several years earlier, the politician and general had rose to power in a civil war. His assassination sparked yet another civil war that doomed the Roman Republic. The state ended up mutating into an empire with Caesar's adopted heir Octavian at the helm.

Today, Caesar is still considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. His name is also synonymous with cults of personality and political strongmen.

So how exactly did the one-time high priest of Jupiter accrue so much power during his lifetime?

Business Insider looked through some of his own writings — as well as the less-reliable but still interesting works of contemporary ancient writers — to get a sense of his leadership style.

Here are the top seven lessons we came up with:

SEE ALSO: 9 timeless lessons from the great Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius

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1. Presentation matters

The best leaders don't just do amazing things — they know how to present a compelling story.

After a relatively brief war with a certain Pharnacles II of Pontus, Caesar had to sit down and write out a report to Rome detailing his conquest. According to both Greek biographer Plutarch and Roman historian Suetonius, the commander didn't go into too much detail, writing simply: "I came, I saw, I conquered."

The phrase proved so catchy that we still remember it, centuries later.

Caesar could have gone on and on about his military prowess (in fact, he was the author of several long military accounts). Instead, he realized that the simple note would convey the most powerful message.

2. Take risks

In ancient Rome, crossing the Rubicon River with an army was kind of a big deal. It was tantamount to a declaration of war and could be punishable by death.

When Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his legion, he put everything on the line. In "The Life of the Deified Julius," Suetonius writes that Caesar quoted an Athenian playwright as he crossed the river, declaring "the die is cast."

He risked it all and it paid off (in the short-term, at least).

3. There's nothing wrong with starting small

Oftentimes, you've got to start out as a large fish in a small pond in order to succeed as a leader.

Caesar understood this. He managed to climb back into a position of power, even after losing his inheritance in a coup as a young man.

According to the ancient Plutarch's "Parallel Lives," the general also made a rather curious remark while passing through a small village in the Alps: "I assure you I had rather be the first man here than the second man in Rome."

Alphabet CEO Larry Page is driven by a fierce, relentless ambition.

The cofounder of Google and current CEO of Google's parent company Alphabet is notoriously unsatisfied by ideas that don't push technology forward by 10x. You can see his big dreams at work within X, Alphabet's experimental lab where it's working on internet-beaming balloons, drones, and more. 

You can also see it through these quotes.

Jillian D'Onfro contributed to an earlier version of this post. 

SEE ALSO: The meteoric rise of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, in photos

On making a difference: "What is the one-sentence summary of how you change the world? Always work hard on something uncomfortably exciting!"

Source: Google

On invention versus implementation: "Invention is not enough. [Nikola] Tesla invented the electric power we use, but he struggled to get it out to people. You have to combine both things: invention and innovation focus, plus the company that can commercialize things and get them to people."

Source: Ted

On making Google products beautiful: "I do think there is an important artistic component in what we do. As a technology company I’ve tried to really stress that."

Source: Fortune

It seems like the world is dominated by subscription services nowadays. Instead of owning your favorite movies, songs and TV shows, you now have access to all the movies, songs and TV shows.

That said, having memberships to all the great services out there can add up quickly. 

Luckily, there's almost no subscription service out there that doesn't offer some sort of free trial. Whether you want to plow through "Game of Thrones" in 30 days for free, or want to see if Spotify Premium is really worth the money, here are some of the best free trial offers on the market. Just make sure you cancel your subscriptions before they are over, as there are few things worse than finding out you've been paying for something you don't use. 

SEE ALSO: This $4 podcast app is way better than Apple's — take a look

Netflix — 30-day free trial

What you get: The streaming giant offers thousands of shows and movies. From "Breaking Bad" and "Stranger Things" to "Chef's Table" and "Captain America: Civil War," you're bound to find something you'll love. Users who have the mobile app on their phone or tablet can download movies and shows to watch on the go when they're away from WiFi. 

After the trial: $10/month gets you a subscription with HD video, and allows for simultaneously streaming on two screens — split the cost with a friend for maximum savings. 

Amazon Video — 30-day free trial, 6 months for students

What you get: Of all the major streaming video companies, Amazon is the only one going toe-to-toe with Netflix in producing large amounts of high-quality original content. Their deals with HBO, FX and other networks allow them to provide you with an embarrassingly rich amount of prestige cable. Try "The Americans"— you won't regret it. 

After the trial: Amazon Video is included with your Prime subscription. $99/year (or $8.25/month) will get you Amazon's famous 2-day shipping, as well as access to Prime Music, Prime Photos, Prime Pantry and a number of other perks. Students can get a Prime subscription for $49/year. 

If you just want the streaming service without the rest of the Prime ecosystem, it can be had for $8.99/month. 

Hulu — 7-day free trial

What you get: Hulu is the go-to service when you missed last night's "Daily Show" and need to catch up quick. Since it enjoys support from many of the big studios and networks, Hulu stands out from the pack by getting most shows the day after they air. Its movie collection is nothing to sniff at, either.

After the trial: Hulu recently got rid of its free, ad-supported model, and lowered the rate of its base membership to $6/month for the first year. Though it might seem like the best bargain of all the streaming services, there's a catch: ads. If you want an ad-free experience, you'll need to pay $12/month. 

Jeff Wilson spent one of his two years as dean of Huston-Tillotson University in Texas living in a dumpster.

The experience made him embrace minimalist living, and inspired him to launch a tiny housing startup, called Kasita, in 2015.

"While the experiment was extreme, the experience I gained by living small and simple made a big impression," Wilson says. "At the end of the year, I left the dumpster with the concept for a new category of housing — a beautiful, small footprint home designed as a solution for the growing housing crisis."

Based in Austin, Texas, Kasita offers housing units that can sit by themselves or stack to form apartments. The pre-fabricated homes can be assembled off-site and delivered in two to three weeks, Wilson says.

The startup is now selling its first units, which measure 352 square feet and cost $139,000, across the US. There is currently a waitlist for preorders — $1,000 holds a spot.

Keep scrolling to check out the units, which will likely be ready for delivery in June 2017.

SEE ALSO: New York's tallest rental skyscraper will have a rock-climbing wall, library, and basketball court

Kasita (a startup that gets its name from "casita," the Spanish word for "little house") sells tiny housing units that encourage a minimalist lifestyle.

The interiors have a modern look. At 352 square feet, white walls help the units look larger than they are. (For comparison, the average one-car garage measures about 260 square feet.)

The main, open-layout space functions as both a living room and bedroom. In the model unit, a bed pulls out from the sofa (though the units come unfurnished).

More than 2 million people in the US are serving time in one of the country's correctional facilities, according to a report released by the Prison Policy Initiative on Tuesday.

The report found the US to be holding 2.3 million people in more than 1,719 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 901 juvenile correctional facilities, and 3,163 local jails, among other detention centers.

With the adult population of the US at more than 249 million in 2015, one in roughly every 100 people over 18 is locked up in the country's correctional system.

PPI created some charts to further explain mass incarceration in America:

SEE ALSO: This World Map Shows The Enormity Of America's Prison Problem

The "war on drugs" has locked up a lot of people.

Drugs are by far the most common reason for incarceration. One in five incarcerated people is convicted for a drug-related offense like trafficking or possession, according to the report.

The number of drug arrests has nearly tripled over the past 30 or so years. Many experts credit that development to the "war on drugs," a series of tough criminal justice and drug policies that began under President Richard Nixon and continued under President Ronald Reagan.

During the war on drugs, lengthy mandatory minimum sentences became standard for drug offenders. The PPI report suggested that that policy, and others like it, left people in poor communities with criminal records, setting of a cycle of instability and criminal involvement.

"The data makes it clear that ending the War on Drugs will not alone end mass incarceration, but that the federal government and some states have effectively reduced their incarcerated populations by turning to drug policy reform," the report says.

The vast majority of people in state prisons are locked up for violent offenses.

Only 34,000 offenders are younger than 18. 

While making up only a small portion of those incarcerated, the young offenders behind bars often serve time for offenses such as "technical violations" of parole (6,600 people) or "status offenses" like running away from home (600 people). 

There are very large racial and ethnic disparities in the correctional system.

White people make up 64% of the US population but 39% of the prison and jail populations, while African-Americans make up 13% of the US population and 40% of those behind bars, according to 2010 census data.

Latino and Native incarceration rates are roughly proportional with the overall US population.

While the country also has a roughly equal population of men and women, men make up 91% of those in prison or jail.

It's hard to say exactly why you like someone.

Maybe it's their goofy smile; maybe it's their razor-sharp wit; or maybe it's simply that they're easy to be around. You just like them. 

But scientists generally aren't satisfied with answers like that, and they've spent years trying to pinpoint the exact factors that draw one person to another.

Below, we've rounded up some of their most intriguing findings. Read on for insights that will cast your current friendships in a new light — and will help you form better relationships, faster.

SEE ALSO: 12 things you're doing that make people dislike you immediately

1. Copy the person you're with

This strategy is called mirroring, and involves subtly mimicking another person's behavior. When talking to someone, try copying their body language, gestures, and facial expressions.

In 1999, New York University researchers documented the "chameleon effect," which occurs when people unconsciously mimic each other's behavior. That mimicry facilitates liking.

Researchers had 72 men and women work on a task with a partner. The partners (who worked for the researchers) either mimicked the other participant's behavior or didn't, while researchers videotaped the interactions. At the end of the interaction, the researchers had participants indicate how much they liked their partners.

Sure enough, participants were more likely to say that they liked their partner when their partner had been mimicking their behavior.

2. Spend more time around the people you're hoping to befriend

According to the mere-exposure effect, people tend to like other people who are familiar to them. 

In one example of this phenomenon, psychologists at the University of Pittsburgh had four women pose as students in a university psychology class. Each woman showed up in class a different number of times. When experimenters showed male students pictures of the four women, the men demonstrated a greater affinity for those women they'd seen more often in class — even though they hadn't interacted with any of them.

3. Compliment other people

People will associate the adjectives you use to describe other people with your personality. This phenomenon is called spontaneous trait transference.

One study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that this effect occurred even when people knew certain traits didn't describe the people who had talked about them.

According to Gretchen Rubin, author of the book "The Happiness Project,""whatever you say about other people influences how people see you."

If you describe someone else as genuine and kind, people will also associate you with those qualities. The reverse is also true: If you are constantly trashing people behind their backs, your friends will start to associate the negative qualities with you as well.

Everyone has to deal with their money, and some of us do it better than others.

If you think you're a master of handling your personal finances — or you've never given a thought to your level of expertise — take a look at the points below.

Your approach might not be as flawless as you think.

SEE ALSO: 13 signs you're better with money than you think you are

You don't know how much you earn or spend.

If you don't know how much money enters and leaves your bank account each month, you're setting yourself up for overdrafts, overspending, and debt.

Solution: Start keeping a record of your income and expenses. You can use an app like Mint, LearnVest, or You Need a Budget, an Excel spreadsheet, or even a pen and paper, if that's your style. Knowing how much money it takes to sustain your lifestyle is key.

Once you know how much you earn and how much you spend, some simple arithmetic will reveal how much you can afford to save, invest, or spend on high-tech headphones.

Bonus points if you've progressed beyond tracking your income and spending to establish a monthly budget. (For tips, check out these real people who keep diligent budgets.)

You're carrying credit card debt.

Unlike good debts that come from investing in your future, bad debts, along with typically high interest rates, don't help you build wealth or assets.

Solution: Make paying your credit card debt a priority. Because of the debt's high interest rate, it has the potential to quickly spiral out of control, costing you thousands more in interest.

Take a look at 13 tips from people who paid off thousands of dollars of debt for inspiration and ideas.

You're surprised by your bills each month.

If you're living paycheck-to-paycheck, what will you do if there's an emergency cost like a hospital bill? How will you pay for grad school or a weekend away?

Solution: There are two ways to loosen the strings on your cash flow: Earn more money, or spend less. If you go the first route, take a look at tricks to negotiate a raise and ways to make extra cash while working full-time. If you're aiming to spend less, consider making a big impact by reducing your largest costs, like your rent or transportation, on top of spending less on a daily basis.

Startup Lucid Motors has revealed more details about its first long-range electric car, the Lucid Air.

The base Lucid Air vehicle will start at $52,500 after federal tax credits and have a range of 240 miles, Lucid Motors announced on Wednesday. That would put the sedan in closest competition with the Tesla Model S 75, which has a range of 249 miles and starts at roughly $70,300 after federal tax credits.

Lucid Motors, formerly Atieva, was founded by Bernard Tse, a former Tesla vice president and board member who was ousted as CEO following friction with the company's largest shareholder, Beijing Automotive Industry Holding, in April 2016, The Guardian reported at the time.

Peter Rawlinson, the former vice president and chief engineer for Tesla's Model S, is Lucid Motors' chief technology officer. Lucid Motors, which is based in Menlo Park, has yet to name a new CEO.

Scroll down for a closer look at the Lucid Air:

SEE ALSO: We took a 1,000-horsepower electric luxury sedan for a spin on the streets of Silicon Valley

The base Lucid Air is a 400-horsepower electric sedan that comes with real-wheel drive.

Like Tesla cars on the road today, it will come equipped with the hardware necessary for autonomous driving, though the company didn't say what kind of self-driving features the car will offer.

However, the startup has said the car will come with lidar, radar, and cameras. Tesla cars do not use lidar, which is known to be expensive.

As mentioned earlier, this puts the base Lucid Air in closest competition with the Tesla Model S 75 with Autopilot. The Model S 75 is more expensive than the Lucid Air even before you tack on the additional costs for Autopilot.

However, without any details on the Lucid Air's autonomous capabilities, it's too soon to compare the two beyond basic specs. Lucid Motors also hasn't said whether activating the car's autonomous features will cost more.

SEE ALSO: The 'ABCDE' method is the best way to conquer the common cold — here's how it works

DON'T MISS: Gluten-free diets may contain poisonous agents — here's how to protect yourself

The researchers studied 14 retired soccer players who died having been diagnosed with dementia, and 12 out of 14 of them had advanced dementia. Their neurological symptoms began in midlife, only 15-20 years following their retirement from play.

The researchers obtained permission to study the brains of six players. Under the microscope, all six brains showed evidence of the abnormal tau protein accumulation typical of Alzheimer's dementia, and four of the six brains revealed the classic damage associated with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

People of all ages have been waiting years to see Disney's live-action remake of its beloved 1991 animated film "Beauty and the Beast," and they can finally witness the magic this weekend. 

Along with astounding design and nostalgic (and catchy) songs, the film also has a star-studded cast including Emma Watson, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Josh Gad, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, and Kevin Kline.

With mixed reviews, the film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 67%. Although the cast is spot-on and there's some impressive attention to detail in the costumes and set design, most critics agree that it's not much compared to the original, which is the first animated film to ever get nominated for a best picture Oscar — and that was back in the day when only five films got nominated in that category. 

Here's what critics are saying about the live-action "Beauty and the Beast":

SEE ALSO: 'Westworld' star's reaction to the show's full-frontal nudity: 'Wow, you can see it all'

The cast is amazing.

“Bill Condon's take on 'Beauty and the Beast' is almost overwhelmingly lavish, beautifully staged, and performed with exquisite timing and grace by the outstanding cast.” —Chicago Sun-Times

"If you're looking for any great departure from or updating of the animated version, don't bother. This 'Beauty and the Beast' doesn't have that. But it does have Emma Watson, and that's enough."—San Jose Mercury News

It's a pretty direct adaptation of the 1991 animated film, but with a modern twist.

“Three cheers for director Bill Condon and star Emma Watson for having the courage to make a live-action adaptation with 2017 gender politics.” —Time Out

“What they've created is a loving homage to a classic, but also a new chapter that really embodies the spirit of the story's heroine and what we love so much about that story.” —Vox

There’s meticulous attention to detail in effects and design.

 “The attention to detail in this film is exquisite, from the gold flakes on Belle's ballroom gown to the 'Fantasia'-like theatrics of the 'Be Our Guest' feast. All of the acting heavy hitters truly bring those inanimate objects to life.” —Fort Worth Star-Telegram 

“'Beauty and the Beast's' highlight is its stunning special effects and set pieces, especially that of the anthropomorphic household objects, which glimmer with realistic glee — but this isn't enough to warrant a remake.” —Daily Express UK

Disney's big live-action adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" is in theaters Friday. In addition to re-imagining the 1991 animated movie's iconic characters, the new movie is adding a few of its own.

Before you head out to see the movie this weekend, keep reading to meet the cast of the new film.

SEE ALSO: Here's what critics are saying about the 'stunning' live-action 'Beauty and the Beast' movie

Emma Watson gives Belle an updated spin on the classic '90s animated character.

"We tried to make Belle more proactive and a bit more in charge of her own destiny," Watson told Entertainment Weekly in its collector's edition guide to the film.

The new version of Belle is more practical: Her town dress has a pocket for her book. She's an inventor instead of her father, and you won't see her running around in flats.

"If you're going to ride a horse and tend your garden and fix machinery, then you need to be in proper boots," said Watson.

Watson looks just as stunning outside of the film.

During the press tour for "Beauty and the Beast, Watson wore outfits designed with recycled material.

Belle's father, Maurice, also received an update. He's no longer an inventor in the new film.

Instead, Maurice is an artist and music box maker. 

If you've ever borrowed money or opened a savings account, then the Federal Reserve matters to you.

As was widely expected, the US central bank just decided to raise its benchmark interest rate to a target of 0.75% to 1% at this week's meeting, and it has signaled that more rate hikes are to come.

That rate, called the fed funds rate, serves as a benchmark for basically every interest rate in the US: government borrowing rates, mortgage rates, credit-card rates, savings-account yields, and so on.

The Fed uses it as a way to accelerate, or slow, economic growth. The rate is rising because the job market is relatively strong and the central bank doesn't want prices rising too fast. Making it costlier to borrow will eventually slow spending by companies and consumers alike.

So, even if you're not a titan of finance, the Fed's interest-rate decision could still affect you if you're planning to buy a house or save for retirement. Here are some of the major ways the Fed can affect the lives of everyday Americans.

SEE ALSO: How Americans really feel about their country on 33 key issues, and how that has changed over 40 years

The Fed's main monetary policy tool is the federal funds rate.

This is the interest rate banks charge other banks for short-term loans. They borrow from one another to make sure they have enough reserves in house at any given time.

The Federal Open Market Committee decides on a target rate, and the Fed buys and sells securities like US government debt to maintain that rate. Since the financial crisis, the Fed lowered the target rate to 0%, where it stayed for nearly seven years before being increased to 0.25% to 0.50% in December 2015, to 0.50% to 0.75% in December of last year, and now to 0.75 to 1%.

More on the fed funds rate.

Prime loan rates are established by private banks as a baseline rate for loans to businesses and consumers.

Prime rates tend to closely track the fed funds rate. As we will see, that baseline rate affects interest rates for several other forms of borrowing and saving. From December 2008 to December 2015, the era when the Fed held the target funds rate near zero, the prime rate among the 25 largest banks stayed steady at 3.25%.

Amid the first two Fed hikes, the prime rate quickly followed suit, as can be seen at the far right of the chart.

More on prime loan rate.

Interest rates for major consumer loans tend to move along with the prime rate, and thus the fed funds rate.

Interest rates for two-year auto loans are usually slightly higher than the prime lending rate, so if that begins to rise, consumer loans will most likely follow.

The '90s were a glorious time. The decade was full of denim, pop music, and hundreds of teen heartthrobs. The young actors of the generation became all the rage thanks to magazines like Tiger Beat and TV shows like "TRL," but a lot has changed since their glory days.

Some stuck it out in the industry and made it big, but others opted for simpler lives, leaving their young fame behind.

It's been 20 to 30 years since many of these budding celebrities got their start and half of them haven't been heard of in years. Here's what your favorite '90s stars are up to now. 

People have seen Kenan every Saturday night for years now, but Kel Mitchell has been a steady figure in the industry as well.

Despite rumors that he had died, Mitchell is alive and well — and still acting.

Since his stint at Good Burger and his voice role in "Pink Panther," he has landed recurring roles on several small TV series including "Game Shakers" and "Wild Grinders."

Most recently, he brought back the infamous Ed character to interview players and report for Nickelodeon Sports at the 2017 Super Bowl media day. 

Bug Hall stepped onto the scene as the unforgettable Alfalfa in "The Little Rascals."

Since that pivotal role he's kept up with acting. Over the years, he had small roles in shows like "Masters of Sex,""CSI," and "Nikita." 

Aside from acting, the 32-year-old recently got married to his long time girlfriend.

Mayim Bialik got her start on the adorable TV show "Blossom," which aired from 1991 to 1995.

Since her days in that leading role, she's graduated with a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA, written three books (one that hits shelves May 2017), and is currently starring in the hit CBS show "The Big Bang Theory" as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. She has even snagged a Critic's Choice Award and four Emmy nominations for that role. 

The anti-Trump boycott movement is still going strong. 

Shannon Coulter, a brand and digital strategist, started the #GrabYourWallet hashtag in October to encourage people seeking a way to take concrete action against Donald Trump to boycott companies — large and small — that do business with his family.

It seems the boycott is producing results. In February, brands such as Nordstrom, Jet.com, and Gilt dropped Ivanka Trump's fashion line. 

Today, Grab Your Wallet's website highlights a condensed list of the "most boycott-able" companies. However, the official, more extensive boycott list — which users can now keep track of using a Google Chrome plug-in — targets many more companies for reasons ranging from selling Ivanka Trump's brand, to being owned by a member of the Trump family, to having a pro-Trump executive. 

As of Wednesday, Grab Your Wallet's list of brands to boycott includes 51 retailers, from big names like Amazon and Macy's, to smaller companies like Wegmans and See's Candies. 

SEE ALSO: Trump's plan for what will happen to his businesses when he's president has a massive flaw

Macy's

While the chain banned Donald Trump's menswear line in 2015 after the president-elect referred to Mexican immigrants as "rapists," it still sells Ivanka Trump's lines of clothing, jewelry, and handbags.

Neiman Marcus

The luxury retailer keeps flip-flopping on whether or not it sells Ivanka Trump's jewelry line.

Neiman Marcus was added back to Grab Your Wallet's boycott list after two Ivanka Trump rings were spotted on the retailer's website in early March. However, with the demise of Ivanka's fine jewelry line, the retailer may not be on the list for long. 

L.L. Bean

Unlike many other companies on the list, L.L. Bean does not sell Trump products. Instead, it has been targeted because Linda Bean, a member of the company's board and the granddaughter of the company's founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, donated $60,000 to a Trump-supporting PAC called Making America Great Again LLC. 

Grab Your Wallet is calling for a boycott until Linda Bean is removed from the company board.