Almost a third of the presidents of the US have been Freemasons.

It's a statistic that sounds straight out of a conspiracy theorist's fever dream (or "National Treasure," at the very least).

Masonic lodges essentially function as combination social clubs, secret societies, and charitable organizations. The fraternal organization has been around since at least the 1700s, likely arising from early modern organizations of stonemasons. Masons themselves trace their roots back to the construction of King Solomon's temple.

Today, there are several offshoots of Freemasonry, but the branch that most folks would recognize requires that members be men and profess belief in the existence of a deity. Conversations about politics and religion are banned, and a Bible must be displayed in each lodge.

Candidates must get through three degrees of the craft in order to become Freemasons. First, they are "initiated" as apprentices, then "passed" to the level of fellowcraft, and, finally, "raised" as full Masons (if the people in the lodge vote them in).

Since the society is ostensibly mysterious and said to partake in ancient rituals, public perceptions about Masons tend to range from fascination to fear. In fact, the first ever third party in US political history ran on the platform of taking down Freemasonry.

So, what drew a grand total of 14 chief executives (15 if you count LBJ, who was initiated but never raised) to become Masons?

Let's take a look at some of their Masonic experiences to find out:

SEE ALSO: One of the worst US presidents in history wasn't just incompetent — it was his beliefs that led to failure

George Washington

That's right. The first president of the US also happened to be the nation's first Masonic president.

In Ron Chernow's "Washington: A Life," he notes that the future president may have been attracted to the Masonic Order's adherence to Enlightenment ideals.

Washington joined the Order of the Freemasons early in his life, entering Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 at the age of 20, according to Mount Vernon's official website. Washington had lost his older brother Lawrence to tuberculosis only a few months earlier, effectively becoming head of the household.

Washington stayed in touch with his Masonic brothers for the rest of his life.

Masonic influences came into play at Washington's first inauguration. During the ceremony, he swore his oath on a Bible from St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1 in New York (the book, as Mental Floss reports, was randomly opened to Genesis 49:13: "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be to Zidon").

The first president's Masonic ties followed him his entire life — and beyond. There's even a George Washington Masonic National Memorial, which was dedicated in 1932 and finally completed in 1970.

James Monroe

Mason website The Masonic Trowel lists Monroe as entering the Williamsburg Lodge No. 6 in 1776. At that time he was a 17-year-old student at the College of William and Mary, and heavily involved in anti-Crown activities on campus.

He's recorded as paying dues to the lodge from 1776 to 1780, according to "A Comprehensive Catalog of the Correspondence and Papers of James Monroe: Volume I."

Over the course of those four years, the future fifth president would drop out of college to fight in the Revolution, nearly die after getting shot during the Battle of Trenton, and then return to William and Mary to study law.

Andrew Jackson

Jackson's status as a Mason actually became a major political issue during his presidency.

That's because the first ever third party in US politics formed as part of a backlash against the Freemasons.

As Slate reported, the seeds for the Anti-Masonic Party were first sown in 1826, when Masons were implicated in the (still unsolved) kidnapping of a New York man who threatened to reveal their secret rites. The political party opposed what it perceived as a sinister, elitist, and anti-democratic secret society.

The Anti-Masonic Party found a natural foe in Jackson, who was not only a Mason, but a high-ranked one. Jackson served as the grand master of the grand lodge of Tennessee from 1822 to 1824.

Amazon Dash just turned two years old over the weekend, and the program shows no signs of slowing down. If you are an Amazon Prime member, a simple click of a Dash button will ensure you never run low on any of your household essentials — from toilet paper to laundry detergent, macaroni and cheese to beef jerky. 

But Amazon also offers Dash buttons for a number of absolutely inexplicable products. Take a look at some of the worst offenders: 

Airheads

If you're plowing through 36-count boxes of Airheads so fast that an Amazon Dash Button is something that makes sense for you, it might be time to reassess your diet. 

Trojan Condoms

If your mom is visiting your house, is it more embarrassing for her to find your stash of condoms, or for her to find out that you purchased a Dash button to make sure your supply never runs low? 

Doritos

This button is only for individuals who buy their Doritos in packs of 64 and 104 bags. Yes, really.

The American Dream has transformed over time.

To find out what it means to Americans today, personal-budgeting company You Need A Budget and market-research company OnePoll surveyed the financial aspirations of 2,000 Americans.

The result is a list of 30-plus signs that indicate achievement of the modern American Dream, ranging from paying for a Netflix account to shopping at Whole Foods to owning a second home.

Below, find 16 signs from the survey that you've "made it." And remember: Just like the Dream has evolved over time, it also varies from person to person. Whether or not you've truly "made it" isn't about your car or travel schedule. It's completely up to you.

SEE ALSO: The 25 most expensive ZIP codes in America

DON'T MISS: How much money you need to save each day to become a millionaire by age 65

You own property valued between $1 million and $2 million.

Homeownership in the US fell to a multi-decade low in July 2016. Less than 63% of Americans owned a home, potentially in part due to millennials prioritizing paying significant loans for their education over buying property.

Among those who do own a home, many don't know how its value changes over time, according to a 2015 Zillow survey. If seven-figure property signifies the American Dream to you, make sure you know what your home is worth (and what could trash its value).

You have $7,425 in your checking account.

Surveyed Americans said maintaining $7,425 in their checking account was a sign of success.

According to certified financial planner Sophia Bera, the right amount to keep in your checking really depends on how much you make.

"A good rule of thumb is to keep at least one month of net pay in your checking at all times. Look for a checking account with no monthly fee and no minimum balance. Even better, find an account that reimburses ATM fees from other banks," Bera wrote on Business Insider, adding that it's smart to keep your checking and savings at different banks to avoid the temptation to dip into one or the other.

You go on at least two annual trips abroad.

While Americans collectively leave hundreds of millions of vacation days on the table every year, survey participants agreed that embarking on at least two trips abroad annually is a sign of achieving the American Dream.

And increasingly, they want those vacations to have value.

An American Express Travel survey of US adults earning $100,000 or more revealed that 81% of Americans are seeking deeper and more personalized experiences abroad, while 73% "said they would be willing to exceed their budget to have a unique local experience when they travel, and more than half said they would splurge to enjoy the cuisine of a particular destination."

Facetune has long been known for beautifying even our worst selfies, but now it wants to try something new: emojifying them. 

A new app from the selfie editor takes photos of your face and gives them emoji expressions — laughing, crying, blowing kisses, getting sick, etc. They can be still images or turned into GIFs and videos, often with surprising (and frightening) results. 

Called Memoji, this iPhone app can be used on your own face by snapping a quick selfie or can take imported images of someone else and contort them into emojis. 

Here's how it works:

SEE ALSO: Here are the 15 people who get the most likes on Instagram

There are two ways to use Memoji: By snapping a quick selfie within the app, or uploading something from your camera roll.

Memoji offers several emojis options to choose from, including the "joy" face, the "triumph" face (which most people use to signify rage), and the kissing face. You can even turn yourself into the unicorn emoji.

Once you take a selfie, you can scroll through the various emojis at the bottom of the app, much like Snapchat filters. The app will show you what it looks like on your face in real-time.

The INSIDER Summary:

• Jennifer and Terry Constant always loved traveling and wanted to spend more time with their son, Ethan.
• They quit their jobs, sold their house, and bought a motor home.
• They've driven about 1,300 miles around Europe with Ethan in tow.

"How many people do this?" Terry Constant asked, smiling, almost as if he couldn't quite believe it himself. "How many people sell their house and move into an eensy-weensy space with a crying, screaming toddler? Not many." 

For Constant and his wife, Jennifer, the decision to trade their jobs and three-bedroom house for a motor home and the open road seemed "a bit mad." Throw a toddler into the mix and you've got mayhem. But the unlimited time they get to spend with their son, Ethan, who is now 16 months old, makes it all worth it. They're sharing their adventures on their website, Travel As They Grow, to inspire other families to follow in their tracks.

Jennifer and Terry Constant met in college over cheese and Marmite sandwiches, and traveled together for two and a half years after graduating.

"We literally got the bug, big time," said Constant. "Obviously as you know from doing a little bit of traveling, your list just grows and grows, and more and more people tell you about amazing places and so you've just got to go."

They settled down in Bristol and had their son, Ethan, but they weren't happy leaving him in daycare all day.

"Long story short, Jen went back to work, really wasn't enjoying it, came home, and literally within 24 hours we decided we had enough," he said. "We wanted to go out and do something a bit mad."

They put their house on the market, bought a motor home, and set off to explore Europe as a family.

The motor home cost £14,000 (about $17,500).

I remember being terrified when I got my first credit card at 20 years old. And I was reluctant to get a second one a few years later.

Won't this derail my credit score and make me look irresponsible with money?, I wondered, even though I never came close to the credit limit and paid off my balance in full every month. It scared me to have the power to spend money I didn't technically have.

Then a friend told me she had six credit cards and no debt. Turns out, having multiple credit cards is actually a smart move, despite my believing for years that it would kill my financial stability.

Below, Business Insider breaks down more common personal finance myths — good news: you're not "wasting money" if you're renting — so we can all stop believing some things are terrible for our money when they really aren't.

SEE ALSO: 13 pieces of money advice you can't afford to ignore

SEE ALSO: These 8 simple rules are the Sparknotes version of everything you need to know about personal finance

 1. Conquering smaller debts first

Despite the conventional wisdom that paying down high-interest debt should always be prioritized, research from the Harvard Business Review suggests otherwise.

Strictly looking at the numbers, it's smartest to pay down the accounts that carry the highest interest rates first. That way, you're staving off as much interest as possible and don't end up owing even more. But HBR researchers concluded after a series of experiments that it was more motivating for participants to see small balances disappear.

"Focusing on paying down the account with the smallest balance tends to have the most powerful effect on people's sense of progress — and therefore their motivation to continue paying down their debts,"writes Remi Trudel, one of the HBR researchers.

Personal finance blogger Derek Sall is a fan of the so-called snowball method, which he used to pay off roughly $100,000 worth of debt (including his mortgage).

"I suggest that people pay off their debts from smallest to largest and ignore the interest rates entirely," he writes on his blog. "Sure, that 18% credit card debt might freak you out like crazy. But if you tackle the smaller debts with intensity like I know you want to, you'll get to it sooner than you think — and then bust it out sooner than you ever thought possible!"

2. Keeping finances separate from your partner

One of the most important conversations to have before marriage is the money talk. What's the status of your partner's financial life? Are they overcome with debt? How much do they have saved? Are they investing? For some couples, these questions are the preamble to merging finances, but that's not the case for everyone.

A conscious decision not to share a bank account is perfectly fine, as long as you're not hiding anything from your partner. As Business Insider's Shana Lebowitz reports, there are many cases where it could be smarter to keep finances separate in a relationship, like if one partner is much better with money than the other or if you're blending families. But regardless of whether you share an account or not, it's crucial to have an ongoing open and honest discussion about your money habits and goals.

Another option, suggests Sophia Bera, CFP and founder of Gen Y Planning, is setting up a "yours, mine, and ours" system. That is, a joint account for household expenses and separate accounts to maintain some individual freedom.

3. Renting rather than buying

Although many financial experts laud the long-term benefits that come with homeownership, don't think you're wasting money if you're renting.

"I think for young people, renting is underrated," wealth manager and blogger Ben Carlson told Business Insider. "When you're young, renting gives you more options. People say they don't want to pay someone else's mortgage, but I think especially when you're young and not tied down, it gives you the ability to pick up and move to another city for a job — a little leeway. A house is much more expensive than people think. It's more than just a mortgage."

Indeed, unlike homeowners, renters don't pay real estate taxes, HOA fees, mortgage interest, or maintenance costs. But keep in mind that real estate markets vary greatly from city to city, so it could be cheaper to buy than rent in some cities, and vice versa. Ultimately, whether you buy or rent, you'll want to aim for a total monthly payment that's less than 30% of your income.

If you're grappling with the decision to rent or buy, check out this flowchart to help you figure out what makes the most financial sense for you.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

A lot of couples getting married in 2017 already live together, and already own a lot of the basics you'd have found on wedding registries even just 10 years ago. That's why startups like Zola are reinventing wedding registries so that they make more sense for couples and guests.

One of the ways the startup is reinventing them is by offering way more gift options than the usual towels, pots and pans, and place settings.

Couples who are looking to deck out their homes with unique and trendy home decor need not look any further than Zola's wedding registry starter guides— for bedroom upgrades under $100, up-and-coming brands, and building your home bar, to name a few.

We asked Zola's director of brand strategy, Jennifer Spector, what decor trends are currently the most popular on the site and what specific items couples should consider adding to their registries. From rose gold accents to home goods that serve dual functions, have a look at what Spector recommends:

DON'T MISS: 22 gifts you’re going to see on every couple’s wedding registry this year

SEE ALSO: This lingerie startup surveyed thousands of women to create the best-fitting bra on the market

THE TREND: ROSE GOLD

"Metallics will always be timeless, but this year rose gold is really shining across all categories, from silverware and home accents to statement furniture."

Kassatex Pietra Collection, $27.99 - $99.99

BUY IT ON ZOLA >>

Kate Spade Malmo Collection, $69.99 - $104.99

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Adesso Marlon Table Lamp, $99.99

BUY IT ON ZOLA >>

BUY IT ON AMAZON >>

Tesla is making big moves to get its cars ready for fully autonomous driving.

The automaker, which is now bigger than Ford and GM in market cap, released 5 new Autopilot features over the weekend.

The latest update is supported by the cars second-generation hardware suite that has been integrated into production vehicles since last October. It will also pave the way for Tesla cars to become fully self-driving down the road, pending regulatory approval and further software validation.

Here's everything you need to know:

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk: Fully autonomous Tesla will drive across the country by the end of 2017

Tesla vehicles built between September 2014 and October 2016 were equipped with one camera used for Autopilot. But new Tesla cars now have eight cameras that provide 360-degree visibility and 250 meters (820 feet) of range.

New Tesla cars still come with one radar sensor, but it has enhanced processing that allows it to see through heavy rain, fog, dust, and even a car in front of it.

Tesla is also still using 12 ultrasonic sensors — however, they have been updated to detect hard and soft objects at nearly twice the distance of the previous sensors.

RAW Embed

Skipping has long been incorporated into a boxer's workout.

Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson all worked the jump-rope and it continues to be an essential heavyweight warm-up for today's prizefighters.

British superstar Anthony Joshua is no different but has incorporated a number of unusual drills into his training regime.

These clips show Joshua training as he prepares for his IBF world heavyweight showdown with Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium, London, on April 29.

Here are five of the best.

Klitschko could back Joshua into a corner but AJ will rely on his reflex training.

If Klitschko managed to back Joshua into a corner, or the ropes, the Londoner may be confident enough to use his fists and arms to cushion the incoming blows. Klitschko, though, will be armed with a steel hammer power shot, not a tennis ball.

Shadow-boxing is a mandatory part of a fighter's training.

Shadow-boxing is a renowned calorie burner but it is also an effective warm-up before engaging in more strenuous exercises like stop-start sprints, working the punching bags, and hard sparring.

A good cardiovascular system prepares a boxer for the latter rounds of a fight.

Cycling optimises a fighter's cardiovascular fitness while also increasing muscle strength and flexibility. With greater CV, a fighter is likelier to sustain performance into the latter stages of a bout.

Ralph Lauren announced on Tuesday it would close its flagship Polo store in New York in less than two weeks.

The Fifth Avenue location is one of dozens of stores the company will shutter in an effort to cut costs and improve efficiency.

In the last quarter, same-store sales declined 5% compared with the same period in 2016.

The brand is struggling to connect with millennials, stay relevant, and keep up with fast-fashion brands like H&M, Uniqlo, and Zara.

We visited Ralph Lauren's Polo store on Fifth Avenue on Tuesday. It was full of unfashionable clothes and lacked shoppers despite being on one of the busiest streets in New York. Take a look inside:

Take a look inside:

Ralph Lauren's Polo flagship is at 711 Fifth Ave., next to stores like Gucci and Armani. This strip of Fifth Avenue is one of the most exclusive shopping spots in the world.

The Polo brand is known for its signature preppy style, which was on full display in a storefront window.

But the display was drab and had a washed-out feel to it. Nothing stood out.

The company that owns Krispy Kreme, Caribou Coffee, and Peet's Coffee and Tea might soon add Panera Bread to the mix.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that JAB Holding was in advanced talks to buy Panera, after breaking the news that Panera was for sale a day earlier.  

In a note out to clients earlier Tuesday, a group of equity analysts at Credit Suisse led by Jason West said a JAB acquisition made sense.

"We believe JAB would be the most likely acquirer of PNRA given JAB’s current portfolio of coffee assets (Krispy Kreme, Keurig, Peet's, etc.)," Credit Suisse said. 

JAB, theinvestment arm of the secretive Reimann family, has been busily scooping up companies in the consumer and food sectors in the past few years. It spent about $1.35 billion to buy Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in 2016. The firm also spent $13.9 billion buying home-brewing coffee company Keurig Green Mountain in late 2015.

As Business Insider's Kate Taylor reported last year, JAB poses a threat to Starbucks, which is working to boost food sales. Here's a breakdown of JAB Holdings' massive portfolio:

JAB acquired Peet's Coffee and Tea in 2012.

JAB Holdings acquired Peet's back in 2012 for about $1 billion.

It then did a deal for Caribou Coffee.

JAB also runs Caribou Coffee Co., which it acquired in 2013 for $340 million. Caribou Coffee is based in Minnesota.

Next up was D.E Master Blenders 1753

JAB struck a deal in 2013 to buy D.E. Master Blenders 1753, which had been spun out of Sara Lee Corp. a year earlier, for $9.8 billion.

You won't find these positions listed on today's job boards. Based in superstition, tradition, and very early science, medical careers of previous centuries can be unrecognizable by modern standards of medicine.

Increased scientific knowledge and more rigorous standards for the efficacy and safety of treatments have changed the kinds of jobs found in the field of health care. Here are five we're glad were put out of business.

SEE ALSO: An elite Red Bull training camp makes athletes face a charging bear, learn improv, and sit in icy water

1. Leech collector

Well, somebody had to do it: Leeches have been a popular medical tool for about as long as they've existed, and those slimy things don't gather themselves. People in the 19th century with few other options may have found a way to earn a living as freelance leech collectors. To perform this particular function, the collector, usually female, waded into a pond and waited for leeches to attach themselves to her legs. Then she would pluck them off, put them in a container, and sell them to the local doctor. Occupational hazards included infections from whatever microbes the creatures were carrying — and, of course, blood loss.

2. Plague doctor

The name makes these guys sound like the medical forebears of today's epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists, but mostly they just dressed up like birds. When the bubonic plague hit over 600 years ago, it caused an estimated 100 million deaths around the world, with some victims dying within hours of falling sick. That level of devastation sent people scurrying for help. Enter the plague doctors, whose purpose seems more magical than medical. First there was the outfit — a long, wax-coated canvas robe and leather pants. Wax also coated the gloves, boots, hat, and hood, which were made of leather as well. The masks were intended to protect the wearer from the disease, which at the time was believed to be airborne. The extended part of the mask was filled with scented herbs, since people believed that smelling bad odors caused disease. The plague doctors administered treatments to plague sufferers, often leech- and herb-based, to no avail.

But at least in one sense they were onto something: While the costume looks goofy to modern eyes, it was a precursor of the hazmat suits worn by medical personnel in today's disease hot zones.

3. Barber-surgeon

The traditional barber pole design with red stripes dates back to when barber-surgeons would advertise their services by wrapping a bloody bandage around a pole outside.

And they bloodied plenty of bandages. A barber-surgeon in medieval Europe would offer the usual services of cutting your hair, shaving your face, or trimming your beard. But he could also turn his attention away from your shaggy locks and saw off that gangrenous arm that had been bothering you, if necessary. Barber-surgeons also yanked out teeth, removed hangnails, and offered bloodletting and enemas, if needed.

You can't get that kind of service at Supercuts.

The INSIDER Summary:

• The World's 50 Best Restaurants is a list that's compiled annually.
• The ranking is based on votes from over 1,000 international leaders in the restaurant industry, including food critics and writers, chefs, and restaurateurs.
• This year, Eleven Madison Park in New York City took the number one spot.

The annual World's 50 Best Restaurants list was just released.

This year's list includes restaurants from 22 countries across five continents.

France, Spain, and the US dominated; each had six restaurants that made it onto the list.

Keep scrolling to see the full ranking.

50. Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium

Click here to learn more about Hof Van Cleve >

49. Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Click here to learn more about Tegui >

48. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany

Click here to learn more about Tim Raue >

If you're looking for a car that doesn't compromise on tech and won't break the bank, the Honda Civic is your best bet.

That may come as a surprise to many: "High-tech" and "futuristic" aren't exactly words that come to mind when you hear Honda. But the Honda Civic EX with the automaker's Sensing package just won Kelley Blue Book's 2017 Best Auto Tech Value Award.

Scroll down for a closer look at the car and its features:

SEE ALSO: The 7 most insanely expensive cars of 2017

First, a quick primer on the car itself. The Honda Civic sedan comes in five different trims, but Kelley Blue Book recommends getting the EX to get the best bang for your buck.

The Honda Civic EX comes with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that gets a respectable 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. It also has pretty standard mileage for a sedan, at 31 MPG in the city and 40 MPG on a highway.

The Honda Civic EX starts at $21,140, but the Sensing package will tack on an extra $1,000. That's a great deal: for just under $23,000, owners get a suite of driver assistance features.

Google's experiment to court cord-cutters begins now.

On Wednesday, Google launched YouTube TV, the live-TV video-streaming service it announced earlier this year, on iPhone and Android. It costs $35 a month, and up to six users can share an account. (However, you can stream on only three devices at the same time.) You also get a one-month free trial and can cancel whenever you want — no contracts.

YouTube TV includes over 40 channels with the option to buy premium networks like Showtime. There's also a virtual DVR service with unlimited storage so you can stream shows you've recorded to your device and skip past commercials.

Here's a quick overview of the channels you get with YouTube TV:

I've been using YouTube TV for only a few days, so this isn't a full, in-depth review. I also haven't had a chance to test the service on Chromecast or use the voice-control features with the Google Home speaker. But overall, the video streams have been steady and reliable on YouTube TV, which has been a big challenge for competitors like DirecTV Now and Sling TV. We'll see how it holds up once the public gets to try it though.

Want to see it in action? Keep reading.

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

YouTube TV is a separate app you download for iPhone or Android. It's not on devices like Roku or Apple TV yet.

If you want to watch YouTube TV on your television, you'll need Chromecast or a special TV with Google Cast.

Chromecast and Google Cast will let you beam YouTube TV from your phone to your television.

The Home tab recommends live and recorded shows you might want to watch based on shows you've selected to record.

Many of the world's greatest golfers turn pro as teenagers and grow up right before our eyes.

Yet, down the road, it is easy to forget just how much many of these golfers have changed since they started their pro careers, and how much better their fashion sense has become.

Below we take a look at what guys like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, and Jason Day looked like before they were famous.

Dustin Johnson in 2007 (age 23).

Dustin Johnson now.

Phil Mickelson in 1991 (age 20).

Now you can take another look at what life was once like for the real "Wolf of Wall Street." 

Jordan Belfort's former New York home has come onto the market for just shy of $3.4 million. Belfort is a former stock broker who was played by Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's 2013 film "The Wolf of Wall Street."

This five-bedroom mansion in one of Long Island's most affluent neighborhoods, Old Brookville, was seized by the federal government and sold in 2001 to help pay back the $110 million Belfort owed his fraud victims, according to Reuters.

In true Belfort style, the house is well-equipped for a party and comes with a three-car garage, gym, large pool, and multiple entertaining rooms. It's a commutable distance from Manhattan but deep into exclusive country-club territory. 

Regina Rogers of Douglas Elliman has the listing.

SEE ALSO: The world's billionaires are flocking to Miami's luxurious Porsche Design Tower, where they can use an elevator for their cars

This five-bedroom mansion is in one of New York's most exclusive suburbs: Old Brookville. The area is awash with country clubs, making it a favorite destination for wealthy New Yorkers to keep weekend homes.

The house was once owned by Jordan Belfort, known as the "Wolf of Wall Street" and the inspiration for Martin Scorsese's blockbuster movie of the same name.

8,700 square feet in total, this mansion has an impressive entrance. Large, arched mahogany doors open into a hallway with a checkered marble floor.

JAB Holdings, the owner of several service brands including Krispy Kreme and Peet's Coffee & Tea, is buying Panera Bread Co. for roughly $7.5 billion.

This should scare cafe chains like Starbucks and Au Bon Pain, Panera's main competitor. 

And while their offerings may not be as good as homemade, both Au Bon Pain and Panera serve all the epicurean comforts we often crave: steaming soups, mac and cheese, hot paninis, and more.

But a question arises: Whose food is the better lunch choice?

Panera Bread, with over 2,000 locations worldwide, and its rapidly expanding competitor Au Bon Pain, which has over 300 locations, serve very similar menus.

We put Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain in an extensive head-to-head test to find out who serves the better lunch.

SEE ALSO: We compared Taco Bell to a West Coast competitor that people are obsessed with — and the winner is clear

ALSO READ: How a 19-year-old turned a sandwich shop into a billion-dollar business

The two fast-casual cafe giants offer very similar menus, so we chose a handful of items we think are classic and hearty cafe fare.

First up: sandwiches. Here are both chains' takes on the hot chicken and mozzarella panini.

Au Bon Pain's Chicken Pomodoro sandwich — with chicken, mozzarella, asiago, tomato spread, and roasted tomatoes — was underwhelming. Despite being made fresh to order, it tastes like prepackaged chicken parm. The ciabatta bread is spongy, and the spreads were lacking flavor.

If you're making $100,000 a year, you're doing pretty well for yourself, especially considering that the median household income in the US is $53,889.

But if you live in the metro areas of Seattle, San Francisco, or Washington, DC, a low-six-figure household income barely puts you among the top half of earners, let alone in the top 20%.

In Stamford, Connecticut, for example, you'd represent the top 48% with a $100,000 household income.

That's according to an interactive tool from The New York Times that allows you to enter your household income and compare your earnings across 344 metro areas throughout the US.

Here, we've highlighted 21 US cities where a $100,000 annual household income isn't enough to crack the top 20% of earners.

Kathleen Elkins contributed to a previous version of this article.

SEE ALSO: 15 quotes from self-made billionaires that will change your outlook on money

DON'T MISS: 2 pieces of increasingly popular money advice could ruin your chance at getting rich, according to a self-made millionaire

A household income of $100,000 puts you in the top 22% of earners in Salt Lake City.

A household income of $100,000 puts you in the top 24% of earners in Atlanta.

A household income of $100,000 puts you in the top 25% of earners in Denver.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, arrived in Iraq on Monday with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Iraq's minister of defense, and US military officials. 

The administration has been accused of breaching standard practice by sending Kushner as the first senior Trump official to visit Iraq, rather than the secretary of state or the national security adviser.

The White House also faced criticism after it announced that Kushner was in Iraq while he was still en route, creating a potential security risk. 

The government continued to publicize the trip with a series of photos of Kushner riding in a helicopter above Baghdad, meeting US soldiers at a forward operating base, and meeting with al-Abadi and the defense minister for discussions about the fight against the Islamic State. 

Kushner is featured in half of the 61 photos released on Tuesday on the Joint Chiefs Flickr account — the same amount that feature Dunford.