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Newly released financial disclosures show substantial assets among members of the Trump administration

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Jared Kushner Reince Priebus Steve Bannon Mike Pence

The White House released a broad set of financial disclosures that showed the assets for as many as 180 senior officials on Friday evening.

The information outlines the sizable wealth of many members of the Trump administration which closes in on a cumulative $12 billion, according to a December Bloomberg report.

Officials including White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, and advisers Jared Kushner and Reince Priebus listed assets they held at the time they began working for the government, a little more than two months ago. Since then, staffers may have divested from some of those assets, resigned from prior jobs, or recused themselves from holdings that may potentially create conflicts of interest.

Here's a look at what the Trump administration's financial disclosures show, based on data gathered at the time they entered public service.

SEE ALSO: 'We like having our name on our buildings': Eric Trump blasts 'maddening' stories of Trump-Russia business ties

Steve Bannon

Steve Bannon, the White House chief strategist and perhaps its most controversial figure, appeared to be among the wealthiest in the Trump administration.

According to The New York Times, Bannon's biggest asset is a private consulting business that received income from multiple investments valued between $5 million and $25 million.

Bannon's disclosures also list:

  • Bank accounts valued up to $2.25 million
  • Rental properties valued at $10.5 million
  • $191,000 in consulting fees he earned from the Breitbart News Network

Source: The New York Times



Reince Priebus

Reince Priebus, the White House's chief of staff, reportedly earned $225,000 in salary and $100,000 in bonuses from the Republican National Committee in 2016.

On top of this salary, a significant portion of his earnings came about after a $450,000 equity buyout from his law firm. 

Priebus' disclosures also listed:

  • Assets between $604,000 and $1.16 million.
  • Two bank accounts worth between $300,000 and $600,000. 
  • RNC payment for his rent in Washington amounting to a little over $57,000.

Source: The New York Times, Reuters, USA TODAY

 



Jared Kushner

Jared Kushner, Trump's innovations director and son-in-law, lists two main sources of income in his financial disclosure.

According to the documents, Kushner held:

  • Nearly $6 million in employment assets and income and retirement accounts
  • A long list of nationwide commercial real estate holdings, including in Chicago, New York, and New Jersey.
  • 13 US bank accounts, the most valuable of which totaling between $1 million and $5 million. 

Kushner's disclosure also notes that he revised his holdings four times within the last two weeks — the most recent change being made on Friday, ostensibly due to his expanding role in the White House. 

Source: Politico



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A psychologist says this is what you should do if you work with a narcissist

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House of Cards

According to experts, about 5% of people are narcissists. This means there's a fairly good chance you could work with one, or you have in the past.

Narcissism is a trait seen in sociopaths. Not all narcissists are sociopaths, but most, if not all sociopaths are narcissists.

If someone at work has an inflated ego, is very charming, knows how to manipulate people to get what they want, or is making you feel used, they're probably a sociopath, or at least narcissistic.

Business Insider spoke to psychologist and therapist Dr. Perpetua Neo about how you can tell if you're dealing with a sociopath or narcissist at work, and what to do about it.

Of course you can't make them disappear, but Neo has some tips on how to better handle a situation with a difficult coworker, and offers advice on how to deter them.

1. Trust your instincts.

Narcissists are very charming.

Generally, there are two types of narcissists — overt and covert. The overt ones are very outwardly charismatic and suck people in with their compliments and wit. The covert ones are less obvious, but they charm you in their own way, according to Neo.

In the workplace, you might feel like someone is wrapping you around their little finger. In these cases, she says you should listen to your gut. With a lot of her clients, she says that when they first met the narcissist in their lives, they didn't like them at all. This gut feeling shouldn't be ignored.

"We think in our gut, there's all these red flags, or alarm bells ringing, but we rationalise it away with our brains," Neo told Business Insider. "So in a workplace if you're finding your gut is firing away, but your brain is saying 'This person is my boss,' or 'This person has a sad story,' then it's time to pause and honour your heart and your gut and let it talk to your brain."



2. Have firm boundaries.

If you feel you're being used by someone at work — they're stealing your ideas, they pull rank, and end up calling you crazy and sensitive — chances are they're a narcissist. The most important thing you can do, Neo says, is have firm boundaries and learn to say "no."

"Often it's not that we can't say no, it's a case of we don't know how to say no," she said. "For instance, if this narcissist is always asking you to do their work for them, you [should] say 'No, this is not part of my job — it's yours.'"

When you keep saying no, Neo says the narcissist will leave you alone and focus on someone else. Of course you can warn other people of their intentions, but she says it's important to remember to look after yourself first.

You might find this is enough, but if not, you might have to take things further, depending on the situation. However, you should be vigilant about who you go to when dealing with a workplace bully because there's no way of knowing how many people the narcissist has manipulated.



3. Don’t hold them accountable.

Just like if you're dating a narcissist, you shouldn't try and hold them accountable for their actions. Trying to get them to own up to what they've done or apologise just keeps you hooked and sucks you back into their games.

Neo says if you keep going back it's because you're addicted to trying to hold them accountable, and you settle for the piecemeal changes they make — changes they ultimately revert back from.

"One of the things that keeps us there is the feeling this person has a natural sense of good," Neo said. "And when we think that, we hold them accountable all the time, and that's what keeps us stuck there."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 11 most important people deciding Britain's Brexit fate

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time barrow1

LONDON — Britain is officially leaving the European Union after Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 on Wednesday, starting the two-year formal Brexit negotiation process.

Britain is expected to leave no later than March 29, 2019, but it is a long road ahead for both Britain and the remaining 27 EU member states.

The EU will spend up to three months preparing for negotiations before they actually get underway and is adamant that the terms of the divorce must be settled before any future trade arrangements are agreed.

Britain is expected to pay nearly£50 billion in a divorce deal. But even this figure is contested by the British and almost everything is up in the air. The fate of everything from the UK fishing industry to immigration will be decided in negotiations over the next two years.

Here are 11 people at the heart of these talks who will play a defining role in sealing Britain's fate post-Brexit.

Michel Barnier — European Chief Negotiator.

Barnier is the EU's most senior Brexit negotiator and will play a crucial role in deciding what the 27-nation bloc is willing to concede in divorce talks. He has warned against Britain walking from negotiations with no deal, saying it is "not what we want."You can read Business Insider's full profile of Barnier here.



Theresa May — Prime Minister of Britain.

The weight of a nation rests on May's shoulders. The prime minister is expected to make a success of what will be the most complex negotiations faced by a modern British government — but just what will constitute success is difficult to say at the moment. 



Guy Verhofstadt — European Parliament's top Brexit negotiator and former Belgian prime minister.

Verhofstadt speaks for the European Parliament in Brexit negotiations, the elected body of 751 MEPs. Verhofstadt is a vocal Europhile who has made it clear that he will put the Union's interests first in talks with Britain. He has repeatedly taunted Britain over Brexit negotiations on Twitter and floated the idea of Britons applying for individual EU membership post-Brexit. BI interviewed him about Brexit before Christmas. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 things the Samsung Galaxy S8 can do that the iPhone can't

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samsung president dj koh at galaxy s8 launch

Samsung's next major phone, the Galaxy S8, packs an impressive set of features.

It's also full of stuff you won't find on the iPhone. Let's take a look at what sets the Galaxy S8 apart from the iPhone.

SEE ALSO: The guy who started Android just teased the new phone he's building

1. There's an iris scanner that can be used to unlock the phone and access secure folders.

Samsung says it's more secure than a fingerprint sensor. The iPhone only has a fingerprint sensor.



2. A new facial recognition feature lets you unlock the phone with a selfie.

It's much faster than using the iris or fingerprint scanner.



3. More screen. The S8 has a 5.8-inch screen. The S8+ has a 6.2-inch screen.

Compare that to the iPhone: The iPhone 7 has a 4.7-inch screen and the iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 10 most valuable brands in the world

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Amazon

Google has overtaken Apple to become the "most valuable global brand" this year, according to the rankings from brand consultancy Brand Finance.

Just like last year, technology brands dominated the top 10.

The ranking is based on interviews with more than 3 million consumers plus data on the financial and business performance of each company, using data from Bloomberg and Kantar Worldpanel.

These are the top 10 most valuable brands in the world and an analysis of what happened over the last 12 months to shift those companies into their respective rankings.

10. ICBC

Brand value: $36.3 billion

Percentage change from last year: +32%

Last year's rank: 13

What happened: Chinese state-owned bank ICBC is the world's largest and also the most valuable bank in the world.

This year the bank pulled ahead of Wells Fargo to become the most valuable bank as well as the most valuable financial brand in the Brand Finance rankings.

The bank had steady financial results in 2016 with net profits growing by 1 billion yuan ($145 million). This was despite the bank coming under fire for alleged improper conduct and money laundering, which led to its Madrid offices being raided in February 2016.



9. Facebook

Brand value: $61.9 billion

Percentage change from last year: +82%

Last year's rank: 17

What happened: 2016 was a good year for Facebook. In April CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined its 10-year plan which would focus the company artificial intelligence, increased connectivity around the world and virtual and augmented reality.

The social media company's revenue grew by 51% in 2016 and shows no sign of stopping in 2017. Instagram's growth is expected to account for 20% of Facebook's US mobile revenue in 2017.



8. Walmart

Brand value: $62.2 billion

Percentage change from last year: +16%

Last year's rank: 8

What happened: Walmart beat Wall Street analysts' expectations with revenue reaching $133 billion, driven by a 36% growth in e-commerce sales. It maintained its eighth spot on the ranking from last year.

It also made a move to improve its employee welfare and started to pay them more last year.

The retailer isn't letting itself get beat down by Amazon and is already working on its own version of the store of the future.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Kroger has a new plan that should terrify Walmart and Target

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Kroger Marketplace (66)

Kroger is going after Target and Walmart by expanding a new type of store featuring home goods, clothing, and kitchen appliances.

The store, called Kroger Marketplace, features nearly everything you would find in a Target or Walmart store, but with a greater focus on groceries, alcohol, and prepared foods.

The company says Marketplace is one of its "primary growth formats of the future"— in other words, it's expanding rapidly.

Kroger has nearly 3,000 stores, more than 120 of which are Marketplace stores.

We went to three Marketplace stores in the Richmond, Virginia, area to check them out. Here's what we found.

SEE ALSO: McDonald's changed the recipe for its iconic Egg McMuffins — here's how they're made

The store is massive. This image shows only one-quarter of the front of the buildings. Kroger Marketplace stores are typically 100,000 to 145,000 square feet — which is about three-quarters of the size of a Walmart Supercenter.



Stepping inside, shoppers are greeted by the fresh-produce department.



It's one of the biggest departments in the entire store, and it's meticulously organized.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here are the 15 people who get the most likes on Instagram

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selena gomez

Athletes, musicians, and reality TV stars have the highest number of likes on Instagram. 

That's according to a study conducted by Project Know, an online platform for substance abuse education. The study aimed to find out how celebrity Instagram posts affect teens, and how often drugs and alcohol crop up in those posts. 

But the research showed that the most-followed users aren't always the one getting the most engagement on their posts. For example, while Selena Gomez is the most-followed person on Instagram with a whopping 115 million followers, her posts don't rack up the most likes — that honor goes to one of the world's most famous soccer players.

Here are the 15 artists, entertainers, and athletes with the highest number of likes on average. 

SEE ALSO: Here's why you'll soon start seeing blurred photos on Instagram

15. David Beckham — 515,405 likes on average

No. of followers: 34.7 million 



14. Kim Kardashian — 535,693 likes on average

No. of followers: 96.5 million 



13. Kendall Jenner — 538,945 likes on average

No. of followers: 77.5 million 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The complete story behind Apple's futuristic new campus, 'Apple Park' (AAPL)

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Apple employees will begin moving into a new campus in Cupertino, California this month. 

The new Apple headquarters, named Apple Park, is a single ring, about a mile in circumference, set in a large campus that will be covered in plants and trees.

Tim Cook Apple Campus 2

Late Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said that the new campus was "a shot at building the best office building in the world."

It will house 13,000 employees on over 2.8 million square feet of office space. Apple employees will enjoy fruit trees, a massive fitness center, and a workspace that's been carefully overseen by Jony Ive, Apple's chief design officer. 

The Apple HQ has been compared to a UFO and the Pentagon — and after about $5 billion in costs, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, it's ready to open. 

Here's a look at Apple Park over the past five years, and what still needs to be done: 

SEE ALSO: Apple's $5 billion campus opens next month — here's what it looks like now

Here's the entire campus, as of March 2017, in one shot.



This is an architect's rendering from the beginning of the process that was made public in 2013.



Steve Jobs originally announced the plans for Apple Park at a Cupertino city council meeting in 2011. It ended up being his last public appearance.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I got a ride in the $100,000 electric car trying to take on Tesla — here’s what it was like

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Lucid Air

It may not be a Tesla, but Lucid Motors’ all-electric car was built by the same minds behind the Model S.

Last week, I got a ride in the startup's very first prototype, the Lucid Air. The car starts at $52,500, but the luxurious version I got a ride in at Manhattan’s Classic Car Club last week will cost over $100,000.

Peter Rawlinson, the chief engineer behind the Model S, is the leading force behind the car as Lucid Motors' CTO. But Rawlinson is flanked by other former Model S engineers as well, like Eric Bach, Tesla's former director of engineering

The car is still a little ways away. Lucid Motors is breaking ground on its manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona in the second quarter of this year to begin producing the Lucid Air at the end of 2018.

But Lucid Motors is attempting to show it will be a legitimate contender in not just the electric space, but the entire luxury vehicle market. Here’s what it was like getting a ride in the Lucid Air:

SEE ALSO: Startup Lucid Motors insists it is defying the electric car curse and will challenge Tesla in China

The Lucid Air starts at $52,500, but the prototype we saw at Classic Car Club was fully optioned to include the company’s more luxurious touches: a panoramic sunroof, two rear seats that can recline 55 degrees, and a 29-speaker audio system.



The car I took a ride in has a range of 315 miles and can produce 1,000 horsepower, Lucid Motors says. It will cost over $100,000, just like the Tesla Model S P100D.

Lucid Air's less-expensive base vehicle can produce 400 horsepower and has a range of 240 miles. That means it will compete with the Tesla Model S 75 that starts at $74,500 before tax incentives.



Lucid Motors didn't let us get behind the wheel because the car is still a prototype. But the startup did take us for a brief ride, albeit in very heavy New York traffic that made it impossible to rev the engine.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

15 ways to save on travel, according to flight attendants

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flight attendant

Flight attendants often deal with early wake-up calls, unpredictable schedules and long waits due to delayed or canceled flights.

But in exchange, these airline employees have the opportunity to travel the world for work — and for fun — thanks to generous discounts and deals on airfare.

"To say we are spoiled is an understatement," said one flight attendant. "But with all these perks, we often like to take things a bit further."

These frequent flyers are constantly looking for ways to save money on travel while minimizing the trials, tribulations and turbulence that come with globetrotting.

Click through for 15 tips and tricks to help you save money on your next trip.

SEE ALSO: 5 questions to help you save money on travel without even noticing, from a woman who traveled to 29 countries

DON'T MISS: Flight attendants share the 25 things they wish passengers would stop doing

1. T is for Tuesday and travel deals 

Many people don't enjoy the same deep discounts on airfare that flight attendants get. But one flight attendant revealed the best time to book your trip to find similar money-saving deals.

"Airfare is usually cheaper on Tuesday and Wednesday, as airlines have a harder time filling seats since most people prefer to travel at the end of the week," said Southwest flight attendant Corey Pettit. "Also, most airlines will launch fare sales on Tuesdays. So if you're looking for a deal, Tuesday is usually the day to look."



2. Schedule vacations for slow seasons

Flight attendants might be hard pressed to schedule vacation days during traditional holiday and vacation seasons — especially if they're new to the job. While it can be a drag for those trying to book time off with friends or family, it's often a boon to their bank balances.

"In terms of saving money, flexibility is key. Be willing to travel during off-peak seasons for some of the best deals," said Pettit. "For example, I just got back from a five-day leisurely trip to Toronto and was able to book a five-star historic hotel in the heart of downtown for a grand total of $350 because it's the off-season."



3. Decide if a low fare is worth wait — and risk

Before you book your trip, it's smart to compare airfare and wait for prices to drop. However, it comes with some risks.

"Waiting to book at the absolute last minute for airfare and hotels can score you the deal of the century," said Pettit. "Or, you'll overpay significantly. It's a risk and is something I wouldn't advise doing unless you have a lot of flexibility in your travels."

But, "cruises tend to be the exception to the last-minute rule," she added. "I've never personally booked a last-minute cruise deal, but have seen some for as little as $199 per person for a seven-day cruise."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

An increasing number of Americans have stopped paying their car loans, and Wall Street is starting to worry

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rusted car broken junkyard

Wall Street is starting to worry about the auto loan market. 

Fitch, Moody's, Morgan Stanley, Mizuho and Evercore ISI have all published research on the market in the past few days, and there's a recurring theme: It's not looking good. There could be wide-ranging consequences, with automakers, the economy, consumers and one corner of the bond market all potentially taking a hit

The increased interest in the auto loan market seems to be based on commentary from Ally Financial, weak guidance from Ford, and what Evercore ISI called "a splurge in incentive spending." Here's what you need to know:

  • The delinquency rate for subprime auto loans is at the highest level in at least seven years.
  • Banks are pulling back, and newer players with looser lending standards are stepping in.
  • Used vehicle prices are dropping sharply, as the market is flooded with off-lease vehicles.
  • The percentage of trade-ins with negative equity is at an all-time high.
  • Asset-backed securities based on auto loans are showing signs of stress.
  • A growing proportion of the auto loan ABS market is now made up of "deep subprime" deals.

To the charts:

Fitch: "Deteriorating credit performance will be more acute in the subprime segment."

The 60+ day delinquency rate for subprime is at the highest in at least seven years, according to Fitch. 

Previously, Steven Ricchiuto, Mizuho's chief US economist, highlighted a jump in losses on subprime auto loans, moving to 9.1% in January, up from 7.9% in January 2016.  

And in November, the New York Fed's Liberty Street Economics blog looked at the deteriorating performance of subprime auto loans and set off the alarm.

"The data suggest some notable deterioration in the performance of subprime auto loans. This translates into a large number of households, with roughly six million individuals at least ninety days late on their auto loan payments."



Fitch: There has been "an expansion of less-tenured independent auto finance companies that have demonstrated higher-risk appetites and less underwriting discipline."

Newer players are emerging, and picking up market share as banks show signs of pulling back. 

"Independent finance companies and credit unions gained the most ground in 2016, ending the year with 20.5% and 25.4% market share, respectively," Fitch said. The increase for finance companies was especially striking, with this group moving from 18.9% to 20.5% in 12 months. 

Fitch highlighted the impact auto finance companies were having on the market: 

"Fitch expects that deteriorating credit performance will be more acute in the subprime segment, driven to some extent by the expansion of less-tenured independent auto finance companies that have demonstrated higher-risk appetites and less underwriting discipline."



Fitch: "Used vehicle prices were down 1.6% sequentially in February, reflecting the sharpest monthly decline for the index since November 2008."

Meanwhile, used vehicle values are falling.

Fitch said: 

"NADA’s Used Vehicle Price Index, which measures wholesale prices of used vehicles up to eight years old, declined over 6% in 2016 and was down 8% year over year through February 2017, marking the eighth consecutive monthly decline. Used vehicle prices were down 1.6% sequentially in February, reflecting the sharpest monthly decline for the index since November 2008 and a seasonal anomaly for February."

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's everything Tesla plans to accomplish by the end of the year (TSLA)

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Tesla Elon Musk

Tesla had a huge 2016. 

Among other things, the company unveiled the Model 3, launched new battery products, acquired SolarCity, and revealed its new solar shingles.

And the company hasn't slowed down in 2017. 

So far this year the company has changed its name from Tesla Motors to Tesla, started rolling out its latest Autopilot system, and raised more than $1 billion in capital to help it ramp up production for the Model 3. 

But CEO Elon Musk has a lot more planned for the company in 2017. 

Here's a look at everything we know so far about what Tesla plans to accomplish this year. 

SEE ALSO: How Tesla emerged from the brink of bankruptcy to become America's coolest car company

Reveal details about the Tesla car sharing network

In July of 2016, Musk revealed that Tesla would launch its own ride-hailing network

At the time, Musk said in a company blog post that once Tesla vehicles are fully autonomous, the company will set up a shared fleet program that enables owners to make money off their car by letting other people use it. 

"You will also be able to add your car to the Tesla shared fleet just by tapping a button on the Tesla phone app and have it generate income for you while you're at work or on vacation, significantly offsetting and at times potentially exceeding the monthly loan or lease cost." 

In October, the company said owners would only be able to use their vehicle on its ride-hailing network for revenue purposes, and that it would reveal more details about Tesla's network in 2017. 

 

 



Drive a Tesla in autonomous mode across the country

A Tesla vehicle will drive in fully autonomous mode from LA to New York City by the end of 2017, Musk said during a press call.

"I feel pretty good about this goal. We'll be able to do a demonstration guide of full autonomy all the way from LA to New York. So basically from home in LA to Times Square in New York. And then have the car go and park itself by the end of next year," he said. 

 



Ramp up battery cell production at the Gigafactory

Tesla and its battery partner Panasonic began cell production at the Gigafactory in January, but the company plans to ramp up production ahead of its Model 3 launch. 

The battery cells currently in production are being used for Tesla's rechargeable home battery, Powerwall 2, as well as its massive commercial battery, Powerpack 2. 

However, Tesla said in a statement in January that it aims to begin production of battery cells for the Model 3, its first mass-market car, sometime in the second quarter.

Producing the batteries at the Gigafactory will bring down costs, enabling the company to price its Model 3 at about $35,000.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

5 hotels with fascinating past lives

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hotel emma san antonio

If these historic hotels could talk, we're sure they'd have a whole lot to say. From converted Neolithic caves in Italy to a female-run brewery turned boutique stay in San Antonio, here are 9 properties with ultra interesting past lives.

SEE ALSO: Fashion mogul Chris Burch built a five-star resort on a remote Indonesian island — and it's officially the best in the world

The Liberty Hotel, Boston, MA

Ask a local and they'll probably be able spill a whole lot about the historic Liberty Hotel. The Boston Granite style building was an operating jail until 1990, after all. Built in 1851, the Charles Street Jail imprisoned some pretty high-profile felons — including Malcolm X — within its 220 cells. But by 1990, after decades of complaints from prisoners over poor living conditions, the jail was shuttered, and by 2001, it was being converted into a 298-room luxury hotel with Charles River views. Pop by today and you’ll find that the Beacon Hill stay has done much to preserve its past. You’ll still find the jail’s iconic rotunda, soaring atrium, wrought-iron bars, and exercise yard — a manicured courtyard, in its current incarnation.



LIFE Hotel, NYC

Later this year, the LIFE Hotel will be giving LIFE magazine's former Herald Square HQ a second chance at Golden Age glory. The NoMad boutique will open in April and feature 90-something rooms done up in 1920s-style decor, honoring the Beaux-Arts building's past. Prior to becoming the LIFE Hotel, the former office also functioned as writers' and editors' apartments, a speakeasy, and the Herald Square Hotel.



Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, PA

The Ace Hotel brand has a thing for locally-inspired design – just ask its 9 outposts, all of which capitalize on their building's rich history and architecture. One of the more recent additions, Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, remains true to the brand’s ethos by cozying up in a five-story former YMCA building. Working off of the boys' club’s existing foundation, it features original terrazzo flooring, a grand wrought-iron and marble staircase, original wainscoting and moulding, and a three story gym (two indoor track levels hover above the main floor) replete with restored murals.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 before-and-after transformations of dead shopping malls that were given new lives

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With the rise of online shopping and changing consumer preferences, American malls have increasingly fallen out of fashion.

Hundreds of malls have shut down in the past few decades, and about 15% of malls could disappear in the next 10 years, according to a recent report.

More than 3,500 mall stores are also projected to close in the first half of 2017, including anchor tenants like Sears and Macy’s— which most malls financially depend on to survive. 

Many dead malls still lie abandoned today. But some are luckier — they find developers willing to renovate them into buildings with new uses, like apartment complexes, medical facilities, and even churches.

Take a look at some of those transformations below.

SEE ALSO: Inside Sears' death spiral: How an iconic American brand has been driven to the edge of bankruptcy

Antioch, Tennessee's Hickory Hollow Mall was hollowed out in 2011 after its two main department stores went bankrupt.

Source: WKRN



After undergoing a facelift, the building re-opened as the Global Mall at the Crossings in 2013. It's now a satellite campus of Nashville State Community college, and includes 617,000-square-feet of retail space, a recreation center, classrooms, a library, and an ice rink.

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 Source: WKRN



Mayfield Mall in Mountain View, California shut down due to declining sales in 1983, when HP moved in and transformed the building into offices.

Source: Silicon Valley Business Journal



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Inside Gwyneth Paltrow's $10 million 'breezy,' all-white New York apartment

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gwyneth paltrow loft

Oscar-winning actress and newly appointed Goop CEO Gwyneth Paltrow is looking for another home.

Paltrow put her New York City penthouse on the market in March 2016, but struggled to sell it. And that might have to do with the slight eeriness of the all-white-everywhere design (it looks almost like a chic, futuristic hospital, if hospitals had shag rugs all over the place).

In March 2017, the apartment, located in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood, went under contract with a buyer for $9.95 million. According to Curbed, the original asking price was $14.25 million. 

Paltrow purchased the penthouse in 2007 for $5.1 million with her then-husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. The couple famously "consciously uncoupled" in 2014. The signifcant price upgrade is probably what turned off buyers for so long.

Tribeca is the most expensive neighborhood in New York City. The real-estate company listing Paltrow's loft, in addition to touting its "breezy modernism," also boasts "direct elevator access to the indoor garage providing discreet arrivals and departures"— in case you happen to be famous.

For more information about the penthouse, you can take a look at the Compass listing.

Take a look inside Gwyneth Paltrow's Tribeca penthouse:

SEE ALSO: Inside Drake's $8 million mansion with a pool that puts Hugh Hefner to shame

The design firm Roman and Williams designed the three-bedroom and three-and-a-half-bath space, giving it a light and airy feel.



They mixed modern elements with old ones.



The white-on-white kitchen, where basically the only thing that wouldn't show is spilled milk.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The BMW X1 takes on the Buick Encore in a battle of the small SUVs (GM)

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BMW X1

Crossover SUVs are the hottest segment in the car business right now, and an especially appealing subset of the segment is small utility vehicles. 

These are the new entry points to brands; it used to be that small sedans were the starter cars. No longer.

Luxury and near-luxury brands are both jumping in. BMW has the X1 as its entry level crossover, and Buick has the Encore. This isn't going to be an apples-to-apples comparison, by the way.

The Bimmer is a true luxury brand, while Buick resides below Cadillac in the General Motors hierarchy.

But the two vehicles, separated by price — more than $10,000, in fact — can be usefully compared. Both provide good utility, have about the same amount of passenger and cargo space, come equipped with a nice lineup of tech features, and can even be compared in terms of how they drive.

The biggest difference is really one of impressions and expectations. The BMW is supposed to be the small-crossover version of the "ultimate driving machine."Buick Encore

The Buick, on the other hand, needs to bring younger buyers into the brand and not deviate too much from what makes a Buick a Buick: quietness, composure, and low-key style.

So what we ultimately have here is a pair of vehicles equally burdened by their respective automotive DNA. The BMW, for example, needs to satisfy the person behind the wheel. The Buick needs to soothe the driver. The BMW has to carry a certain amount of design weight — this crossover needs to fit into the BMW family, which includes the X3 and the X5. 

The Buick has to exude some of the Tri-Shield's unforced elegance and country-club vibe without coming off as stuffy. Buick has done yeoman work in the last decade changing the idea that its cars are strictly for the retirement-community demographic. 

So the two crossovers are easier to compare than it appears.

And there might even be a surprise or two about the one we liked better.

SEE ALSO: The BMW X1 is controversial — but it might be the perfect new entry-level BMW

Here's the X1. Specifically, the 2016 X1 xDrive28i, priced at about $44,000 and nicely equipped. I tested and reviewed the crossover late last year. Base price is roughly $10,000 less.

Read the review here.



And here's the 2017 Encore. My tester was the Sport Touring trim level, at it tipped the costs scales at just over $31,000, with several thousand bucks worth of options. Base price? $27,000.



You have to give it to the Bimmer when it comes to styling: in "Alpine White" it's very sharp, and it lacks for none of the usual BMW design cues, including the famous kidney grille.



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NFL MOCK DRAFTS: What the experts are predicting for the top quarterbacks

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NFL Draft

It is now less than a month until the 2017 NFL Draft and while most NFL Draft experts have zeroed in on Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett as the top pick by the Cleveland Browns, it seems like nobody can agree on who will take the top quarterbacks or even when they might be selected.

To try to add a little bit of clarity, we looked at mock drafts from seven draft experts to see where they have the top seven quarterbacks landing on draft weekend. The experts are: ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr, (1 round) ESPN's Todd McShay (1 round), Will Brinson of CBS Sports (1 round), Dieter Kurtenbach of Fox Sports (3 rounds), SI's Chris Burke (3 rounds), Walter Football (5 rounds), and Charley Casserly of NFL.com (1 round).

Here is what they are projecting to happen with the top seven quarterback prospects:

Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina

NFL.com draft grade*: 6.54

Measurables: 6-foot-2, 222 pounds, 9.5-inch hands

40-yard dash: 4.67 seconds

What the draft experts are predicting:

Mel Kiper, ESPN — Cleveland Browns (first round, pick 12)

Todd McShay, ESPN — Houston Texans (first round, pick 25)

Will Brinson, CBS Sports — San Francisco 49ers (first round, pick 2)

Dieter Kurtenbach, Fox Sports — Jacksonville Jaguars (first round, pick 4)

Chris Burke, SI — Cleveland Browns (first round, pick 12)

Walter Football — Cleveland Browns (first round, pick 12)

Charley Casserly, NFL.com — Cleveland Browns (first round, pick 30; projected trade with Saints)

Key quote: Kiper: "This might be the ideal situation for the Browns, getting the top overall prospect at No. 1 (Garrett) and the top quarterback at No. 12. This is assuming they don't use draft capital to trade for Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo, who could still be available if the price is right."

* On a scale of 1-10. Less than a 4.50 indicates a player who needs time in a developmental league. 5.00 is a player with a 50/50 shot at making a roster. 6.00 is a player who should be an instant starter. 7.00 is a Pro Bowl-caliber player. 8.00 is a perennial All-Pro. 9.00 is a "once-in-a-lifetime" player.



Deshaun Watson, Clemson

NFL.com draft grade: 6.27

Measurables6-foot-2, 221 pounds, 9.75-inch hands

40-yard dash: 4.66 seconds

What the draft experts are predicting:

Mel Kiper, ESPN — Arizona Cardinals (first round, pick 13)

Todd McShay, ESPN — Cleveland Browns (first round, pick 12)

Will Brinson, CBS Sports — New York Jets (first round, pick 6)

Dieter Kurtenbach, Fox Sports — New York Jets (first round, pick 6)

Chris Burke, SI — Houston Texans (first round, pick 25)

Walter Football — Pittsburgh Steelers (first round, pick 30)

Charley Casserly, NFL.com — Kansas City Chiefs (first round, pick 27)

Key quote: McShay: "I'm not convinced Cleveland will use this pick on a quarterback, but it would make some sense, especially after landing Garrett at No. 1 overall. Watson will need time adjust to a pro-style system, but he has the tools to grow into a good starter in the NFL if developed and utilized properly."



Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech

NFL.com draft grade: 5.87

Measurables6-foot-2, 221 pounds, 9.25-inch hands

40-yard dash: 4.80 seconds

What the draft experts are predicting:

Will Brinson, CBS Sports — Houston Texans (first round, pick 25)

Dieter Kurtenbach, Fox Sports — Los Angeles Chargers (second round, pick 38)

Chris Burke, SI — Arizona Cardinals (first round, pick 13)

Walter Football — Kansas City Chiefs (first round, pick 27)

Key quote: Burke: "It is becoming painfully obvious that Carson Palmer is close to the end of his career rainbow. Rather than wait on his departure and try to find their QB then, the Cardinals can get a head start with a dazzling but raw talent."



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Stunning portraits show what beauty looks like around the world

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Kichwa Woman in Amazon Jungle Ecuador

Romanian-born photographer Mihaela Noroc has been photographing women around the world for the last four years.

She's captured portraits in close to 60 countries from Afghanistan to Iceland.

Noroc is calling her project The Atlas of Beauty, and she's planning on publishing a book of her photographs in September of this year.

Keep scrolling to see her breathtaking work and to learn more about the project.

Noroc got her first camera at the age of 16. Her first subjects were her sister and mother.



"That's how I started to love photographing women, in an honest and serene way."



A 2013 trip to Ethiopia inspired her to return to photography, which she had abandoned after her teachers at university discouraged her from pursuing it professionally.



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The 44 best people in UK tech to follow on Twitter

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Martha Lane Fox

There are hundreds of people tweeting about tech in the UK. How do you figure out who to follow?

Well, we did the hard work for you an rounded up some of the UK's most interesting Twitter users for tech news and analysis.

We've sorted Twitter users according to how much they tweet, how much they engage with other users, and how useful their tweets are.

Additional reporting by Shona Ghosh, Sam Shead, and Rob Price.

44. Samantha Payne from Open Bionics

Handle:@sighsam

Occupation: Cofounder of Open Bionics.

Why: Samantha Payne is cofounder of OpenBionics, a startup building 3D-printed prosthetics, and her Twitter feed is full of the latest science and health-tech news.

Sample tweet:



43. Fred Destin from Accel Partners

Handle:@fdestin

Occupation: General partner at Accel Partners.

Why: Destin is a well-known technology investor in London working for Accel Partners. He shares insights on the tech world.

Sample tweet:



42. Kiki Loizou from The Sunday Times

Handle:@KikiLoizou

Occupation: Small business editor at The Sunday Times.

Why: Loizou reports on startups and small businesses for The Sunday Times, and she tweets out her profiles, news, and interviews.

Sample tweet:



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The Porsche 911 Carrera is almost impossible to beat when it comes to sports cars

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Porsche 911 PDK 12

We don't lack for sports cars in this world. If you want some affordable thrills behind the wheel, you can buy a Mazda Miata for less than $30,000 (and you can buy a well-loved one for less than $5,000, and you can rescue one from the crusher for, like, $1,000).

From there, the sky's the limit: The Ferrari 488 GTB, for example, will set you back $360,000. And it will be worth every precious penny.

What I'm saying is you don't lack for choice. But what if you don't feel like shopping? What if you just want perhaps the greatest sports car ever produced by human hands on planet Earth?

Well, then you should just spend $111,070 — the price of our test car — and get yourself a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera (base price is only $89,400). Here's why:

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

SEE ALSO: Here’s the stunning electric car Porsche is making to take on Tesla

The 911 Carrera arrived in Manhattan in a "Night Blue Metallic" paint job.



For some, the 911 has always been an odd-looking car, what with its bulbous rear end and bug-like headlights. But over the decades — the first 911 arrived way back in 1963 — the idiosyncratic rear-engine design has been continuously refined. The eighth generation of the sports car is perhaps the best-looking iteration, although all true 911 lovers have their favorite version.



The 911's rear is now ... well, "elongated" seems like the right word.



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