• The Senate is expected to vote on the Republican tax plan in the next 24 hours.
• The plan would dramatically reshape the US tax code for businesses and individuals.
• Prospects for the bill's passage have improved dramatically.

As the Senate continues debate the Republican bill to overhaul the US tax code, many details have not been finalized — but passage appears closer than ever.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) would slash taxes on corporations while giving benefits to various industries as well.

For individuals, most Americans would get a tax cut, and all income groups would get a cut on average. But, it would also increase taxes on millions of tax filers and the individual cuts would expire after 2025 absent subsequent legislation.

A vote on the bill is expected some time late Thursday or early Friday, as GOP leaders try to win over a few more Republican members to vote for the bill. Currently, lawmakers are adding amendments to the bill, with Democrats hoping to slow its progress and Republicans trying to push the bill through.

If you're just now catch up to the Senate's debate on the TCJA, check out the quick catch on the tax bill below and catch all of our coverage here.

And follow along here for live coverage as it heads to a vote.

What's in the bill?

The TCJA contains substantial changes to both the business and individual side of the tax code. In total, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the bill will cause the federal deficit to increase by just over $1.4 trillion in the 10 years after is passes.

The business side

Perhaps the biggest change, on a macroeconomic level, would come from the slashing of the federal corporate tax rate. The current bill will bring down the rate to 20% from the current 35% starting in 2019. It would also require companies to repatriate assets, or bring back assets that are domiciled overseas, at a lower rate.

While the GOP has painted its tax bill as a simplification of the code, there remain still a bevy of quirks and cutouts in their bill. There's a special tax cut for craft beer brewers, a tweak to clarify the code for private jet operators, and even a benefit for a fish processing plant in Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa.

The bill also provides a benefit for so-called pass through businesses. These are businesses like limited liability corporations in which the owner takes the profits as income. In the bill, pass-through businesses would get a 17.4% deduction on their profit, but there is talk of raising this to 20% or more to win over Republican hold outs.

The individual side

The Senate TCJA would adjust the seven individual tax brackets in order to lower the rate on most Americans. (See a full breakdown of the new brackets here.) The bill would also double the standard deduction for all households and increase the child tax credit to $2,000.

A slew of itemized deductions would also be eliminated, the alternative minimum tax would be repealed, and the threshold for the estate tax would be increased from $5.6 million to around $11 million.

Due to Senate rules, the bill would sunset all of its individual tax provisions after 2025. So the brackets would snap back to the current baseline.

The bill also would eliminate Obamacare's individual mandate for all people to buy health insurance. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this would leave 13 million more people without coverage in 10 years compared to the current system and cause health premiums to spike another 10% above the current trajectory.

How will it affect me?

The TCJA would affect different people depending on how they file their taxes.

According to the most recent analysis by the Joint Committee on Taxation, 61.7% of Americans would get a tax cut of $100 or more in 2019 if the TCJA passes, while 30.2% would see a change of less than $100 to their tax bill.

Some people, however, would see their taxes increase. According to the JCT analysis, 8.1% of Americans would see their taxes go up by $100 or more in 2019. This group would increase as time goes on — in 2023, 13.1% of people would see an increase.

(Business Insider's Lauren Lyons Cole broke down how some people's taxes will change in 2018»)

According to the JCT, after the individual changes expire, the increases would be significant. In 2027, the report said, 22.9% of people would see their taxes hiked, and 61.2% would see no change.

Other groups, like the Tax Policy Center, also agreed that most people would get a tax cut and each income bracket would on average get a cut. The groups also found that the tax bill would tilt toward wealthier Americans in the latter years and result in many middle-class Americans seeing a tax increase.

A variety of groups would benefit from or be penalized by the plan. People in states with high local taxes, such as New York and California, could get dinged because of the repeal of the state and local tax deduction. And those that rely on certain itemized deductions could see a tax bill increase, too.

How will the bill pass?

GOP leaders only have to win over members of their own party, since the TCJA is going through the process known as budget reconciliation.

The process allows bill to avoid a Democratic filibuster and be passed with a simple majority vote. This means Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell only needs 50 of the 52 Republicans senators to vote for the bill, since Vice President Mike Pence can cast a tiebreaking vote.

It also means that the TCJA is subject to a provision known as the Byrd rule, which applies guardrails to legislation going through the reconciliation process.

The Byrd rule mandates that all provisions in the bill must apply to the federal budget, which eliminates extraneous provisions. Additionally, the bill can only add a certain amount to the federal deficit — in this case $1.5 trillion — in the first 10 years and no additional debt to the baseline after a decade.

The Senate parliamentarian, who determines whether the bill follows the reconciliations rules, has so far not released a public ruling on the TCJA.

• We put together a list of the world's richest people, using data from Bloomberg.
• The majority of the billionaires on the list are self-made self-starters who built business empires in tech, finance, fashion, and sports.
• A few of the billionaires inherited stakes in their family's companies.

There's rich. And then there's world's richest people rich.

To make it into the latter group, you need a net worth of at least $19.1 billion.

Using the calculations from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, we put together a list of the 50 richest people in the world. Bloomberg updates its data at the close of every trading day in New York, and our list is based on the latest data available for November 30. Since Bloomberg News doesn't report on Bloomberg LP, we added him using his estimated net worth from Forbes.

The majority of the billionaires on the list are self-made self-starters who built business empires in tech, finance, fashion, and sports. A few inherited stakes in their family's companies.

From tech tycoons to luxury car heiresses, here are the 50 richest people on earth.

SEE ALSO: Meet the world's 10 richest black billionaires

DON'T MISS: 27 cities around the world where expats are happy, rents are affordable, and jobs are plentiful

50. William Ding

Ding Lei, also known as William Ding, is the founder and CEO of NetEase, which operates online games. 

Net worth: $19.1 billion

Age: 45

Citizenship: China

Industry: Technology

Source of wealth: Self-made; NetEase

49. Carl Icahn

Carl Icahn founded his own investment firm in 1968, and has invested in a number of high-profile companies over the years, including RJR Nabisco, Philips Petroleum, Viacom, Marvel, Time Warner, Netflix, Herbalife, and Apple.

Net worth: $19.2 billion

Age: 81

Citizenship: United States

Industry: Diversified

Source of wealth: Self-made; Icahn Enterprises

48. Tadashi Yanai

Tadashi Yanai is the the founder and president of Fast Retailing, which owns retailer Uniqlo. 

Net worth: $19.6 billion

Age: 68

Citizenship: Japan

Industry: Retail

Source of wealth: Self-made

The German sprint across Poland in September 1939 introduced the Nazi Blitzkrieg to the world, which then watched as Hitler's forces swept over mainland Europe and bombarded Britain.

Farther north, in the frigid expanse now occupied by Finland and Russia, an equally significant battle raged in the unprecedentedly cold months of winter 1939-1940, as the outnumbered Fins took on Stalin's Soviet Union.

The two countries signed a nonaggression treaty in the early 1930s, but that did not allay Finnish concerns about their neighbor's ambitions.

Those fears were justified, as the Soviet Union surged across the Karelian Isthmus on November 30, 1939, seeking to deepen its western frontier.

Stalin threw about a million troops into the dense forests and frozen expanses that connected the two countries, and able, determined Finnish troops turned the bucolic landscape into a charnel house for underprepared, underfed, and initially overwhelmed Soviet troops.

Finland is thought to have lost about 25,000 soldiers during the 105-day conflict, while the Soviet Union was bled of nearly 200,000 troops, with hundreds more stricken by frostbite.

Helsinki eventually succumbed to the Soviet onslaught, however, signing a peace pact on Moscow's terms on March 12, 1940— though the country did not completely capitulate and would later allow German troops to transit its territory to engage the USSR.

As the photos below show, the Finnish troops made deft and deadly use of a vicious winter and unforgiving landscape to exact the maximum toll from the Russian invaders.

SEE ALSO: 74 years ago, US Marines waded into 'the toughest battle in Marine Corps history' — here are 25 photos of the brutal fight for Tarawa

War between Finland and Soviet Russia started at 22:45 local time on November 30, 1939. Trenches which were dug at the beginning of the Finnish-Russian tension in Helsinki, December 1, 1939.

A house hit by a Russian aerial bomb in Helsinki, December 11, 1939, and which was still on fire after several days. Heavy Soviet artillery barrages could reportedly be heard in the Finnish capital — more than a hundred miles from the front.

Source: War is Boring

Some of the 50 volunteers for the Finnish army as they prepared to sail from New York on December 9, 1939, on the Swedish-American liner Gripsholm for their native country.

2017 has been a prolific year for Netflix's original programming.

After starting the year out with a cultural conversation-starter in "13 Reasons Why," the streaming service followed with a string of critically acclaimed new shows, including the serial-killer procedural "Mindhunter" and women's wrestling comedy "GLOW."

To find out which new Netflix original shows released this year are worth your time, we turned to the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to rank the shows by their composite critical reception.

We excluded any show that did not have enough reviews to receive a designation of "Fresh" or "Rotten." We also did not include docu-series, children's shows, or talk shows, and we used audience scores to break any ties. 

Here are the 26 notable Netflix original shows that debuted in 2017, ranked from worst to best, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: All 54 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

26. "Disjointed"— 17%

Critic score: 17%

Audience score: 74%

Netflix description: "Pot activist Ruth Whitefeather Feldman runs a medical marijuana dispensary while encouraging her loyal patients to chill out and enjoy the high life."

25. "Marvel's Iron Fist"— 17%

Critic score: 17%

Audience score: 77%

Netflix description: "Danny Rand resurfaces 15 years after being presumed dead. Now, with the power of the Iron Fist, he seeks to reclaim his past and fulfill his destiny."

24. "Gypsy"— 25%

Critic score: 25%

Audience score: 85%

Netflix description: "Therapist Jean Holloway develops dangerous and intimate relationships with the people in her patients' lives in this simmering psychological thriller."

• Food brands have been hit hard by boycotts by the right and left.
• I decided to go on a boycott diet, eating only foods boycotted by the left one day, and only foods boycotted by the right the next. 
• Liberals may be missing out on tastier food than conservatives — but there's much more to the story. 

In a politically polarized country, what you eat can say a lot about what you believe. 

The past two years have seen an unending series of politically motivated boycotts and counterboycotts. People on the left ditched Papa John's after the founder slammed NFL leadership, only for the right to start smashing Keurigs because the brand pulled advertising from Sean Hannity's Fox News show. 

With the boycotts adding up, it felt like you could craft an entire diet based on what certain people are refusing to eat. 

So, I decided to do just that. 

For one day, I would only eat items boycotted by the left and endorsed by the right. The next day, I would do the opposite, feasting on liberals' favorite foods, which conservatives refuse to touch. 

The experience would leave me feeling physically ill — and emotionally queasy. 

SEE ALSO: Brands including Papa John's and Starbucks are victims of a 'consumer awakening' as boycotts explode in Trump's America

I started the day off with a conservative favorite — Chick-fil-A.

Progressives arguably kicked off the modern era of politically motivated food boycotts in 2012, after Chick-fil-A donated to anti-LGBT groups and its CEO voiced opposition to same-sex marriage. 

If you look at Chick-fil-A's sales, the high-profile boycott was a failure. Just two years after the controversy, Chick-fil-A beat KFC to become the biggest chicken chain in the US in terms of sales.

Among Republicans, the chain still ranks No. 1 on Harris Poll's ranking of the reputations of the 100 most visible companies in the US. Across all consumers, the chain is ranked significantly lower, in the No. 17 slot.

Eating a Chick-fil-A breakfast sandwich, I'm forced to admit that Chick-fil-A's egg and sausage sandwich is superior to almost any other fast-food breakfast offering.

That might be one reason that boycotts of Chick-fil-A didn't actually hurt sales.

Conservatives doubled down to support the chain during the boycott. And, with high-quality food and menu items that no other chain has managed to replicate, apolitical and more progressive customers may have been more inclined to turn a blind eye to executives' viewpoints. 

For lunch, I tried to partake in a more short-lived alt-right obsession: Wendy's.

Not every right-wing boycott starts with the alt-right, a loosely allied group of white supremacists, men's-rights activists, and other far-right people. But with the social-media power of many alt-right personalities, they often play a role in starting or amplifying boycotts. 

Wendy's was designated the "official burger of the Neo-Nazi Alt-Right movement" by a white-supremacist website after the brand's Twitter account tweeted, then deleted, an image of Pepe the Frog. Once a common meme, Pepe was declared a "hate symbol" by the Anti-Defamation League after being adopted as a symbol of people — primarily the alt-right — spreading racist and anti-Semitic messages.

However, when I showed up at Wendy's, the location was closed for renovation — which may have been for the best. Still, the Wendy's Pepe tweet is a convenient representation of how quickly things can go from light-hearted fun to straight-up hate speech on social media. 

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.

Life is expensive. Student loans, rent, phone bills, groceries — it's no wonder we spend our hard-earned paychecks so quickly. And then there are those little splurges on Ubers, dining out, and new clothes and shoes for work.

In an effort to talk about purchases that are decidedly more budget-friendly, I asked my Business Insider colleagues to share the best things they’ve bought for less than $20, and I got some interesting responses.

Some are seemingly random (a lemon squeezer), some are convenient (an extra-long charging cable for your phone), and some you probably didn't realize you needed (a mini humidifier for your desk).

Check out our favorite affordable picks below.

SEE ALSO: 10 must-have tech accessories under $10

DON'T MISS: 22 awesome and weird things we bought using Amazon Prime

A car mount for your phone

I don't own a car in New York, but this air-vent phone mount is worth the $8. I keep it in my suitcase so that I have it when I travel and I'm driving around a rental car. It works everywhere and holds my phone securely in place while driving. — Reuben Ingber

TechMatte MagGrip Air Vent Magnetic Universal Car Mount Holder, $6.39

An egg cooker

No one likes to be the girl in the office who goes to crack her hard-boiled egg during this month's health kick and end up with a yolky mess. Not cool. 

After more failed attempts than I would like to admit at the perfect hard-boiled egg, I discovered this little beauty — perfect every time and you never end up with egg on your face ... or your desk. — Caitlin Gallaher

Dash Go Rapid Egg Cooker, $20.99

A miniature desk humidifier

This little doodad has changed my life by making winter in a hot, dry New York office bearable without taking up much space. — Margaret Bowani

Deneve V2 Cool Mist Humidifier Stick, 9.95

"Love Actually" hit theaters just in time for 2003's holiday season, and audiences deemed it an instant Christmas classic. Though the movie has a problematic treatment of women, "Love Actually" remains a holiday staple for many.

Keep reading for a look at how the star-studded cast looked then, what they look like now, and what they've been up to in between.

We all remember Liam Neeson as the heartbreaking character of Daniel — a man whose wife recently died after battling an illness.

Neeson went on to portray a man with a very special set of skills in "Taken" (and in its two sequels), as well as dozens of other notable roles.

In "Love Actually," Neeson's character had a young stepson named Sam, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

Mercury goes retrograde for the last time in 2017, which makes December a great month to research, plan, review and reset goals. The electric energy of Mars moves to sensual Scorpio — one of the signs it rules — and ignites a fire of passion. By the end of the month, the business thinking traditional sign of Capricorn will be bursting with celestial energy.

On the 19^th, Saturn — the sign of longevity — will move to Capricorn, one of the signs it rules, for a three-year stay and reminds us of our responsibilities.

This year, the sun will move to Capricorn on the 21^st and Venus on the 24^th. The year closes with a Gemini Moon, a symbol of fun gaiety and openness of what’s to come, a perfect ending and beginning.

ARIES: Tie up loose ends so you can start fresh in the new year.

December is very much about your work, career and business — getting ends tied up to close off and start the new year afresh. You can change your attitude, direction, or both during this time as you gain greater awareness and insight as to what you really want to do. Your love life is full of passion and intimacy. Intimacy in way of knowing someone on a deeper level. Your imagination is on fire. Don’t hold back, think big and be bold!

TAURUS: Romance and passion are very much on your radar in December.

Romance and passion are very much on your radar in December. Friendship is also important. Friendship is the ingredient that holds your loving relationships together. Socially, friends remind you of how lucky you are.

There’s a possible new development with money. Be prepared to restructure your finances to make it work for you. A change of how you earn, save and spend can ensure you start the new year off in a better place. Knowledge is power, be open to taking up new studies.

GEMINI: You may find yourself thinking about where you are and where you want to be.

Moon energy in, and opposite, your sign can be intense. Mercury also in your opposite sign and retrograde can prompt you to rethink where you are and where you want to be with love, life and everything in between.

Mars in your area of productivity places some urgency on your schedule. Be careful of trying to be all things to all people. Pace yourself and get organized. Spend quality  time with others. There’s a new development with your love life, but before you do anything make sure it’s what you want.

• The Porsche Panamera Turbo carries a hefty price tag.
• The Cadillac CTS-V is essentially a Corvette Z06 with four doors.
• Can the awesome Caddy face down possible the greatest sedan on Earth?

The Porsche Panamera is an incredible car — so incredible that we named it Business Insider's 2017 Car of the Year.

The Panamera in Turbo trim is actually monumental: there's a stonking twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, cranking out 550 horsepower. But behind that motor is a cabin of unparalleled luxury. For those who want it all, the Panamera Turbo doesn't disappoint. But it will cost you more than $150,000.

That's a rich sticker, but for about half the price, you can get your hands on even more power. It won't be German power. It will be Detroit oomph. And it will have a Cadillac badge.

The CTS-V is probably my favorite high-performance four-door on planet Earth. If you like the Corvette Z06 and its 6.2-liter, 650-horsepower V8 widowmaker, the CTS-V has the same powerplant, just tuned down by ten horses to 640.

Let's call the comparison a showdown between perhaps the greatest sedan in existence and the extreme value proposition. Read on to see who wins:

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The CTS-V in "Red Obsession." I enjoyed the vehicle immensely. Our test car cost over $90,000 and was very well optioned. Base, the CTS-V is about $86,000.

Read the review.

The "V" cars are Caddy's answer to high-performance versions of European sports sedans: BMW's M Sports, Mercedes-AMGs, and the Audi RS. And of course dedicated high-end rides, such as the Panamera. It's tough to climb much in the General Motors lineup than the CTS-V, however. With the Z06 and forthcoming ZR1 Vettes, you get mountains of power but no back seats, and the flagship CT6 Caddy doesn't yet come in V trim.

I will at this point acknowledge that one might not be cross-shopping a CTS-V and a Panamera Turbo. But then again, a lot of folks don't think they should cross-shop a Z06 and, say, a Ferrari 488. That doesn't mean they shouldn't.

I also more recently checked out the car in a fetching "Crystal White" paint job. It got some serious stares, but I still liked the CTS-V better in red.

The heart of the Caddy is the savage, 640-horsepower, supercharged V8 LT4 motor, which the CTS-V shares with the Corvette Z06.

This engine is sublime. For my money, it's better than the Porsche's 550-horsepower V8, but I tend to think that big V8s get along better with superchargers than turbochargers (both increase the compression of airflow headed in an engine's cylinders for combustion, but superchargers are powered by the motor itself, whereas turbos are spun by engine exhaust).

The best part of driving a CTS-V, in many ways, is starting it up and hearing the gutsy roar and rumble. Because we're dealing with a luxury sedan here, out on the road the CTS-V isolated the driver and passengers from the exhaust note, but you can sure as heck feel those 640 horses doing their thing.

The eight-speed automatic has a manual mode, so you can use the paddles behind the steering wheel to shift your own gears. The CTS-V also has various drive modes, including a ferocious Track option. I found that skipping the paddles and going with Comfort and Sport modes were the best route. 

"Driving the car is glorious," I wrote in 2016. "The Z06 requires constant attention. The CTS-V, by contrast, is an insane beast when you want it to be, possessed of earth-splitting violence delivered via a 0-to-60 time of 3.6 seconds."

Just like the rest of us, celebrities don't always wear makeup.

Whether they're running errands or performing for fans, many A-listers are fond of the no-makeup trend.

Showing off their natural beauty, stars like Bella Thorne and singer Alicia Keys have helped others believe that makeup is just an accessory — not a necessity. 

Here are 30 photos of celebrities taking a makeup-free approach to life.

Brianna Arps contributed to an earlier version of this article.

Although Rihanna has her own beauty line, she isn't afraid to go without her Fenty Beauty products.

Bella Thorne often speaks out on social media about having acne. Here, she stepped out in New York City without covering up any of her pimples.

To some, Lady Gaga is almost unrecognizable when she chooses not to wear makeup.

You can read more about Gaga's decision in her interview with the London Times' Culture magazine. 

• Alfa's BMW fighter is stylish, powerful — and compelling.
• Motor Trend named it Car of the Year for 2018.
• We sampled the Quadrifoglio.
• A 505-horsepower engine really makes it sing.

Buying a high-performance luxury sedan in the United States in 2017 isn't difficult. You don't have to think about it. If you have the means, Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, Cadillac, and BMW have you covered — especially BMW.

The Bavarians created the sports sedan and brought it to America in the 1970s. Since then, BMW has improved on the idea to the point where its 3 Series is the platonic ideal of four-door go-fast-ness. If you move up the M-Sport M3 from BMW's performance division, you get the platonic ideal with fire in its belly.

The default choice, therefore, is obvious. But the default can be boring, and that's where Alfa Romeo comes in.

The Italian brand is returning to the US after a long absence. Alfas of old were stylish — just think about the convertible from "The Graduate"— but not exactly reliable. Fans put up with this until they didn't, and a surge of dependable Japanese and superbly crafted German vehicles arrived.

Alfa started small and weird with the 4C, effectively a small Ferrari. (Alfa and Ferrari used to live under the same room at Fiat, before Ferrari was spun out in an initial public offering in 2015.) We liked the 4C, but it was quirky.

Enter the Giulia, a proper sports sedan. Alfa just started selling it. Also, enter the Quadrifoglio performance upgrade. "Quadrifoglio" means "four-leaf clover" in Italian, and the meaning of that totem of good luck for Alfa is nicely explained by Michael Banovsky. Suffice it to say the green badge on the Giulia Quadrifoglio adds something special.

Alfa tossed us the keys to the car for a week, and we put it through its paces. So how did this $77,125 (as tested) challenger to the BMW M cars stack up? After all, Motor Trend just gave the Giulia its coveted Car of the Year award for 2018.

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

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We got out first taste of Alfa's return to America with the 4C, a taut little mid-engine roadster that's like a shrunken-down Ferrari.

Read the review »

The Giulia is far more low-key — a dignified four-door, oozing luxury.

Our $77,195 test car came with a Vulcano black paint job and Alfa's distinctive front grille, an inverted triangle that evokes the brand's heritage. The Alfa badge, by the way, is probably the most beautiful in the automotive universe.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup draw is here!

There 32 countries were divided into four "pot." The top seeds were all placed in Pot 1 and were assigned to groups first. Those were followed by the teams in Pot 2 and so on, with the lowest seeded teams in Pot 4 grouped last. A handful of adjustments happened along the way to keep teams from the same region out of the same groups.

Here are the four pots that determined the draw, based on the FIFA world rankings in October:

Pot 1: Russia, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France

Pot 2: Spain, Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Croatia

Pot 3: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran

Pot 4: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea and Saudi Arabia

Here are the groups:

GROUP A — Russia is the top seed

A1 — RUSSIA

A2 — SAUDI ARABIA

A3 — EGYPT

A4 — URUGUAY

GROUP B — Portugal is the top seed

B1 — PORTUGAL

B2 — SPAIN

B3 — MOROCCO

B4 — IRAN

GROUP C — France is the top seed

C1 — FRANCE

C2 — AUSTRALIA

C3 — PERU

C4 — DENMARK

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.

The Insider Pick:

• Shoveling snow might not be much fun, but it need not be a loathsome burden, either. All you need is a great snow shovel to help you get the job done. The Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Snow Shovel is our top pick because the advanced ergonomics of its twin-handled design reduce back strain and expedite snow clearing.

Winter is great because of all the holidays, the seasonal beers, and of course the chance to romp about in the snow. But winter also has its drawbacks. On those days that are not holidays and on which we are not enjoying a few beers and romping, many of us are instead cursing our way through the frigid morning as we dig our car out of a snowdrift just so we can get to work. Shoveling snow is a task few people enjoy, but it's one that we can't well skip if we want to leave the house without snowshoes and/or a dogsled and team of huskies.

With the right snow shovel, removing all that wintry precipitation from your stoop, driveway, deck, and walkways need not be a daunting chore. A proper snow shoveling technique paired with a decent piece of hardware will make the process faster and easier, and will also reduce the chance of injury.

Which, by the way, is a concern not to be taken lightly: One major 2011 study concluded that during an average winter as many as 11,500 people end up in the emergency room after a snow shoveling-related injury. Lower back injuries are far and away the most common, representing more than a third of total injuries. Which is no surprise, really, because snow can be surprisingly heavy stuff.

An average cubic foot of snow weighs about 62 pounds. So after a heavy snowfall that dumps, let's say, a foot of snow on the ground, an average driveway alone (let's use 12 by 30 inches as our frame of reference or 360 square feet) might have as much as 22,300 pounds of snow piled up on it! So yeah, that's where the backache comes from.

How to choose the right shovel for you

When choosing the best snow shovel for your property, first think about yourself. If you have any physical issues caused by age, injury, or illness, then opt for a tool that uses wheels, focused leverage, or even a motor to help minimize the effort needed to move that snow. If you're healthy as a horse, a more traditional snow shovel might be fine, but you still need to consider the volume of snowfall you'll be facing and the terrain at hand.

Even a fit person can be overwhelmed by hours of shoveling and should consider a tool that gives them an edge even if it costs a bit more. And don't forget that a bigger shovel is not always better — a shovel that's too wide for your narrow stoop might be counterproductive, and so on.

When possible, don't forget to spread salt before the snow starts, and get out there as soon as possible after it stops, before the stuff can freeze into a more solid mass. Also, don't rule out spending the winters in Los Angeles. It never snows and there are lots of great museums, restaurants, and retail shops there.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Snow Shovel is our top pick and why you should also consider the Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower, the AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel, the Suncast Snow Pusher Snow Shovel, and the Ivation Heavy Duty Rolling Snow Pusher.

SEE ALSO: The best ice scrapers for your car to keep your windshield clean

The best snow shovel overall

Why you'll love it: The ingenious two-handled design of the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Shovel can reduce back strain by as much as 30% when compared to a traditional snow shovel while also speeding up the snow clearing process.

Remember that statistic we discussed earlier about how more than a third of those 11,500 snow shoveling-related ER visits are caused by lower back injuries? Well then, the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Shovel could prevent thousands of annual hospital visits by dramatically reducing the strain shoveling puts on the lower back.

This thing is essentially a regular old snow shovel with a straight handle and an 18-inch shovel blade that's curved to help you collect loads of snow, albeit with one notable addition. Right above the scoop, Snow Joe designers added another handle on a short, pivoting rod. This lower handle is spring-assisted, moving up and down in response to your motions and helping to counterbalance the weight of each shovelful of snow.

By keeping your lower hand well above the main shaft of the tool, the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Snow Shovel allows you to stand up straighter as you work, reducing the strain put on the back's lumbar region. The spring-action second handle also helps you fling aside that heavy snow without as much effort and with reduced shock at the end of each toss, thereby further limiting the effects on your joints, muscles, and skeletal system. The second handle is a small addition that creates a major improvement.

The Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Shovel scores an average 4.4-star rating with owners. One satisfied customer says it was "just what [she] needed," explaining that she can "shovel and not have to mess up [her] back" in the process. Another Amazon reviewer gushes that he "can't express how much I love this shovel."

In a YouTube video review, a gear tester showed how this "back saving shovel" is easy to use and does indeed reduce snow-clearing time while creating "way less stress on the back."

Pros: Reduces back strain, speeds up clearing process, good price point

Cons: Initial use is awkward

Buy the Snow Joe SHOVELUTION Snow Shovel on Amazon for $30

The best electric snow shovel

Why you'll love it: The Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower can clear snowfall up to a half foot deep with one pass, and you never even have to lift it off the ground.

I own a Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower and use it often when snowfall blankets our driveway, stoop, and the sidewalk out front, so you can trust me when I say this: with snow piled up as high as six inches off the ground, this electric shovel can help you clear an area quickly and with much less effort than a traditional shovel requires. I also happen to know firsthand, though, that with snow any deeper than that, or with snow that's particularly wet and heavy, this thing bogs down and loses efficacy rather quickly.

A Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower is perfect for people who live in areas prone to moderate snowstorms that come a few times per season. As noted, it can't really handle deeper snow. But for lighter precipitation, it clears the stuff right down to the pavement, pushing along easily without the strain shoveling places on the knees, arms, and the back.

This electric shovel is best suited to mid-sized properties, as it tosses snow a distance of about twenty feet. If you have quite a large driveway or patio you want to clear, some of that snow is going to fall right back onto it, counter productively piling up. For clearing sidewalks, stoops, smaller or medium-sized driveways, though, it's a great tool. The thrower cuts a 12-inch swath as it moves along, enabling most users to clear a 1,000 square foot area covered by four inches of snow in about twenty minutes.

With many thousands of reviews logged, the Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower comes in just under a four-star rating, with a 3.9-star average. One customer was thrilled that her 80-year-old mother could use the tool, saying: "she has no problem with it" as she clears a sidewalk and driveway. Another owner calls the Toro "lightweight, powerful," and adding that it "throws like a champ."

A comprehensive write-up from Consumer Reports called the Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower lightweight and maneuverable but did make the point that the unit "can't handle wet snow," which I can certainly corroborate.

Pros: Minimizes effort and backache, quickly clears shallower snowfall, light at just 12 lbs.

Cons: Can't handle deeper or wet/heavy snow

Buy the Toro Power Shovel Electric Snow Thrower on Amazon for $100

The best compact snow shovel

Why you'll love it: The Lifeline AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel weighs less than a pound and a half and folds down to just over two feet long, making it perfect for storage in the trunk of a car.

You never really know when a snowstorm is going to hit. Well, OK, I guess you can follow the weather reports for a few days worth of heads up. And then you can watch as the clouds roll in for another head start on things. So maybe you can predict snowfall, but what you can't always do is plan for exactly where you'll be and what you will be doing when the snow comes down. That's why it's a good idea to keep the Lifeline AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel around.

This low-priced, compact, multipurpose shovel can be stowed away in the trunk, in a closet, or just about anywhere else. It's lightweight, at approximately 1.3 pounds, and it can adjust from 25 to 32 inches in length, allowing for comfortable use by people of varied height. The blade is smaller than that of most traditional snow shovels, but it can still scoop up more than enough wintry precipitation to clear the stoop and steps outside your home, to carve out a narrow footpath, and to help you dig your car out of the snow.

This shovel would also a pretty decent paddle should you ever find yourself needing to get a canoe moving with no actual paddles in sight. Just a thought.

The Lifeline AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel has a solid 4.4-star rating on Amazon with well over 1,000 reviews logged. One happy customer called it an "amazing little shovel" and reports how he used it "to dig out [his] car after a snowstorm." Another owner loves how it's so compact that it "stores under the seat" of his vehicle.

A video reviewer with TheGearTester praised the feel and stability of the "thick aluminum handle," while a Chainsaw Journal review called the shovel "built tough" and praised how compact it is.

Pros: Compact size ideal for storage in car, adjustable handle length, low price point

Cons: Too small for serious shoveling jobs

Buy the Lifeline AAA Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel on Amazon for $22.99 (originally $29.99)

• The Senate is aiming for a final vote on the gigantic Republican tax bill on Friday afternoon.
• While Republicans are still arguing over details, it appears they have enough votes.
• The bill would make huge changes to business and individual taxes.

The final vote on the massive Senate Republican tax bill is fast approaching on Friday as GOP leaders scrambled to make last-minute changes to their bill.

A vote on Friday would come just three weeks after the bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), was introduced.

Republicans appear to have the votes to pass the TCJA, but the situation is still fluid. Sen. John Cornyn, the second-ranking Senate Republican, said Friday morning that Republicans had enough votes to pass it.Sen. Bob Corker, a Republican holdout on the TCJA, said the bill would likely get through with or without his vote.

"I realize that there’s probably enough votes right now to pass it," Corker told reporters.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is attempting to appease deficit hawks, moderates, and members concerned about small business all while keeping the TCJA within Senate rules.

As the day rolls on, we'll be following along live, so check back for updates.

10:55 am: GOP leaders think the bill will pass, but Susan Collins pumps the breaks.

Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn told reporters that the leadership is feeling pretty good about the tax bill's prospects.

"We have at least 50 and we’re still working," he told reporters before a meeting of the Republican conference.

For Cornyn's predictions to be the case, Republican leaders need to have Sen. Susan Collins on board but she cautioned against makng assumptions.

"I don’t know how Senator Cornyn can speak for me, I speak for myself," Collins told reporters but said they were making "good progress on the bill."

Debate begins and a quick recap

Debate on the tax bill is expected to lead off with statements from the party leaders. The first amendment votes are scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.

The Senate will resume the drama that was suspended on Thursday, when GOP leaders called it a night to try and figure out the last-minute changes to their bill.

A final vote was possible Thursday night, but Republican leaders hit a snag when the Joint Committee on Taxation — the official congressional scorekeeper — released an analysis that showed the bill would only increase GDP 0.8% over 10 years.

The analysis also showed the bill would grow the federal deficit by $1 trillion over that timeframe even when accounting for that growth.

The analysis renewed concerns from Sens. Bob Corker and Jeff Flake about the legislation's potential effect on the deficit.

The pair's idea of a trigger that would increase federal revenue was ruled impermissible by the Senate parliamentarian, a kind of umpire for Senate rules, sending Republican leaders back to the drawing board.

McConnell and leadership got a boost when Sens. Ron Johnson and Steve Daines, who had been on the fence, said on Friday that they would support the bill. Johnson told Wisconsin radio station WISN that his support gave Republicans enough votes to pass the bill even without Corker and Flake.

Check here for a full recap of Thursday night's action»

Politics: Here's who Mitch McConnell needs to win over

While it appears that McConnell may have already secured the necessary 50 votes (with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie) with the addition of Johnson and Daines, here are some GOP senators on the fence.

• Bob Corker and Jeff Flake: The most unlikely votes for McConnell to get. These two are worried about the impact of the bill on the federal deficit. They had proposed a "trigger" to increase taxes if the bill did not deliver economic growth. After the Senate parliamentarian ruled that provision ineligible, Corker said he wanted more than $350 billion in additional revenue in the bill.
• Susan Collins: Collins introduced a slew of amendments ,including one that would reinstate part of the state and local tax deduction, that she said would need to be added to win over her support. She also wants the Alexander-Murray Obamacare stabilization passed along with the tax bill.
• Marco Rubio and Mike Lee: The pair introduced an amendment that would raise the corporate tax rate to 22% in order to make the child tax credit more generous. It is unclear if the pair would vote for the bill without the amendment.
• Ron Johnson and Steve Daines: Originally, it appeared that they were accepting of a 20% pass-through deduction rate — then they needed 23%. Who's to say they may not ask for more?

Brooklyn's House of Yes nightclub strives to be the place where just about anything can happen. 

Opened in 2015, the club is the brainchild of New York artists Kae Burke and Anya Sapozhnikova. On any given night, party-goers might encounter trance DJs, aerialists, circus performers, marching bands, burlesque dancers, magicians, and tarot card readers.

The club is notorious for out-there parties with themes like Prohibition Disco, House of Love, and Bad Behavior. Costumes are just about required for any party at House of Yes, which makes sure things get weird.

We recently headed to House of Yes to attend the "Ancient Aliens" party and talk with Burke and Sapozhnikova.

House of Yes is located at the Jefferson L Train stop in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Bushwick is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood that has seen an influx of artists and young professionals over the last decade.

The place is hard to miss. The space, opened on New Year's Eve 2015, used to be a laundromat. House of Yes raised the ceilings and added all the lighting, sound, and theatre equipment you could imagine.

HoY grew out of NYC's Do-It-Yourself and Burning Man scenes, starting in a rundown loft in 2007 before moving to a warehouse a year later. The warehouse closed in 2014 due to rising rents. A year later they partnered with artists and nightlife veterans Justin Ahiyon and Ilan Telmont to launch the Bushwick space.

Burke and Sapozhnikova never went to school for theatre or hospitality. When they first moved to New York at 19, they started working at legendary parties in the DIY scene like Rubulad and The Danger. 

As part of those experiences they learned everything from theatre directing to acting, lighting, costume design, set design, and everything else involved in making live events. 

Then they started developing those skills through their own events and parties at the various iterations of House of Yes.

• Relationships are complicated, and they take a lot of work.
• But that work can be fun — and easy.
• Here are some easy strategies for strengthening your relationship on a daily basis, from saying "thanks" to putting a ban on talking about housework.

Relationships take work. A lot of work. But a week at a couples' retreat — while potentially nice — isn't the only way to reestablish intimacy.

You have multiple opportunities every day to show your partner you care, get to know them better, and defuse petty arguments.

Below, find seven strategies for strengthening your relationship, none of which take more than 10 minutes.

SEE ALSO: 10-minute changes to your daily routine that can make you happier

Try 'mindful conversation'

"Mindful conversation" isn't designed to help romantic couples, per se — but it's a useful exercise in learning to actually listen to what your partner is saying, instead of tuning out or waiting for your chance to jump in.

Here's how it works (one of you can be "A" and the other can be "B"):

1. A talks and B listens for a set time period (say, three minutes)

2. B responds with, "What I heard you say is …"

3. A gives feedback and B responds until A is satisfied.

4. A and B switch roles. 

It might be awkward at first, but it gets easier over time.

Hug or kiss your partner

Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin previously told Business Insider that she and her family make a habit of practicing "warm greetings and farewells." Every time someone comes or goes, everyone gives a sincere hello or goodbye.

It's a habit most couples could stand to adopt. According to IKEA's "Life at Home" report, while most people surveyed say it's important to hug or kiss their partner in the morning, far fewer people report showing this kind of physical affection before heading out the door.

And yet research suggests that physical affection is related to greater satisfaction in romantic relationships. So take a minute or two to show your partner how much you care about them.

Say 'thank you' for something small

In "The Gratitude Diaries," journalist Janice Kaplan chronicles her yearlong experiment with being more grateful for everything and everyone in her life — including her husband.

She writes that thanking her husband for something as small as fixing a leaky faucet ended up improving her overall marriage.

As Business Insider's Erin Brodwin has reported, psychologists have known for a while that couples who express gratitude toward each other are more likely to stay together. In fact, thanking your partner even once can bring you two closer months later.

That's possibly because a single act of gratitude sparks a cycle of gratitude and generosity: You thank your partner, so your partner feels appreciated and invests more in the relationship, which in turn makes you feel more grateful to them.

The holiday season is a wasteland for network television, but luckily there will be plenty to watch on Netflix in December.

Netflix has 14 brand-new original shows, documentaries, stand-up comedy specials, and films arriving in December, just in case you get sick of Hallmark Christmas movies. 

There will be a new season of "The Crown," stand-up specials from Judd Apatow and Dave Chappelle, and a sci-fi fantasy crime movie starring Will Smith — and more.

SEE ALSO: All 54 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Dark," season 1 — available December 1

Netflix description: A family saga with a supernatural twist, is set in a German town in present day where the disappearance of two young children exposes the double lives and fractured relationships among four families. In ten, hour-long episodes, the story takes on a supernatural twist that ties back to the same town in 1986.

"Voyeur"— available December 1

Netflix description: "Voyeur" follows Gay Talese -- the 84-year-old giant of modern journalism -- as he reports one of the most controversial stories of his career: a portrait of a Colorado motel owner, Gerald Foos.

"Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight"— available December 5

Netflix description: Comedian and Emmy-winning television host Craig Ferguson brings his quick wit and offbeat humor to the stage as he returns with his second Netflix original one-hour stand-up special.

• Manhattan's Via 57 West is a luxury residential building that just won the Emporis Skyscraper Award.
• It was designed by star Danish architect Bjarke Ingels.
• Built with sustainability in mind, the building recycles 60,000 gallons of water a day and was built using responsibly forested wood.  

This week, Via 57 West, a luxury residential building designed by star Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, was announced as the winner of the Emporis Skyscraper Award, the world's most renowned prize for high-rise architecture.

The unique pyramid-like building, with a 22,000-square-foot sloping courtyard in its center and floor-to-ceiling windows, has been capturing the attention of architecture fans since renderings were first revealed in 2009. 

The building, which has a total 709 units, was built with sustainability in mind. The energy-efficient building recycles 60,000 gallons of water a day, and it was built using responsibly forested wood. Not to mention, with 178 different floor plans, there's a fit for any type of living situation.

Units have been on the rental market since March 2016, except for the building's 142 affordable housing units, which range from $565 for a studio to $1,067 for a three-bedroom apartment and were filled via a lottery in late 2015. Average prices for the market-rate apartments range from $2,770 for a studio to $16,500 a month for a four-bedroom apartment.

Last year, Business Insider got to peek inside five different units, each with a unique floor plan. We were in awe with what we saw. 

SEE ALSO: 12 eerie images of enormous Chinese cities completely empty of people

APARTMENT #1, two-bedroom, two-bath: This particular unit was listed for $7,200 per month and is 1,024 square feet.

Thanks to the building's tetrahedron-like design, some of the apartments are lucky enough to have not one, but two balconies. Here, the smaller room of this two-bedroom apartment leads out to a patio space.

The master bedroom is separated by a small hallway.

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.

The Insider Pick:

• If you’re looking for the best laptop out there, there are a ton of different choices. However, there's none better than the HP Spectre x360 13t, which boasts excellent specs, a gorgeous screen, and a convertible design.

A great laptop is essential when it comes to studying and working — and one that doesn’t work well can bring plenty of unwanted distractions.

If you’re looking for a new laptop, there are quite a few things to consider. After all, laptops are pretty complex machines. Here are a few key terms and features to keep in mind when you’re looking for a laptop:

• Operating system: While you will want to consider hard specs, the way that you interact with your laptop is through the operating system. You’re probably familiar with Windows, which is by far the most popular computer operating system, but there’s also Apple’s macOS, which is also very capable. Last but not least is Chrome OS, which is best for those who want a simple, affordable, no-fuss laptop for web browsing and other basic tasks.
• Specs: Computers vary widely in terms of processing power and other specifications. The processor and RAM will essentially dictate how fast your computer is, while the storage will determine how many files you can store on the computer. The screen resolution is another important spec, and you'll probably want at least a Full HD, 1080p resolution. Battery life should be at least eight to ten hours.
• Size: Another thing you’ll want to think about is how big the computer is. A smaller laptop will ultimately be more portable, but a larger one will have a larger display, which is better for watching movies and video production. Common sizes for laptops are 13 inches and 15 inches, though 11 inches and 17 inches also appear every now and then.

Of course, apart from all these things, you’ll want to think about price. Although the very best laptops will cost you $1,000 or more, we’ve tried to offer a range of different laptops in different price ranges in this guide. You can also check out the best Chromebooks and the best budget laptops if money is tight.

Updated on 12/01/2017 by Christian de Looper: Added the Google Pixelbook and updated prices.

Although the HP Spectre x360 13t is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the HP Pavilion x360, the Huawei MateBook X, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 and 15,the Asus Chromebook Flip C302A, the Dell Chromebook 11, the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro, the Dell Inspiron 15 5000, and the Google Pixelbook.

SEE ALSO: The best budget laptops you can buy

The best laptop overall

Why you'll love it: The HP Spectre x360 13t is well-designed, high-powered, and versatile thanks to its convertible design.

HP has been a top company in the computer industry for some time now, and for good reason. The company has long offered computers that aren’t just high-powered and extremely capable, but that also come at a great price. The HP Spectre x360 13t is no exception to that rule. In fact, it has earned itself a top spot on our best laptops list.

The HP Spectre x360 13t comes in a few different variants, and the one we’re looking at is decked out with Intel’s latest 7th-generation i7 chip, a nice 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of solid-state storage. Beyond the hard specs, though, this computer has a lot more to offer. Like, for example, its 1,920 x 1,080-pixel touch-enabled display.

The laptop is convertible, too – that’s to say, you can use it in laptop mode, or you can flip the keyboard around to use it in tablet mode – which is great for watching Netflix in bed or drawing with the included stylus. It’s a perfect size for that, too, coming in at only 0.55 inches thick.

As far as ports go, the HP Spectre x360 13t comes equipped with two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, as well as a USB 3.1 Type-A port. And, you’ll get a headphone/microphone port. It also has built-in Bang & Olufsen quad speakers, so if you’re not using the headphone jack, the sound should still be relatively good.

Not everything is perfect though. While there are a good amount of USB ports, there’s no SD card slot or other ports, so you’ll need adapters if you have any peripherals that use ports other than USB. And, the computer isn’t necessarily cheap, either. It comes at $1,568.88 on Amazon, though you can get less high-powered versions for less.

Expert reviewers give this laptop high praise, including PCMag, Laptop Mag, and CNET.

Pros: High-powered, convertible, plenty of USB ports, touch display

Cons: Expensive, no SD card slot

Buy the HP Spectre x360 13-AC013DX 2-in-1 (13.3-inch, Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Certified Refurbished) on Amazon for $899.95

Buy the HP Spectre x360 13 Convertible Laptop (13.3-inch, Core i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) on Amazon for $949.99 (Only available from third-party sellers)

Buy the HP Spectre x360 13-AC033DX 2-in-1 (13.3-inch 4K, Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Certified Refurbished) on Amazon for $1,075.00

Buy the HP Spectre x360 13t (13.3-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Core i7) on Amazon for $1,584.99

Buy the HP Spectre x360 - 13t Touch Stylus (13.3-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Core i7) on Amazon for $1,849.99

The best laptop for less than $600

Why you'll love it: If you’re looking for a great computer on a budget, then the HP Pavilion x360 is for you, thanks to its decent specs and two-in-one form factor.

The laptops in this guide are all excellent machines, but they all have something in common— they’re expensive. Thankfully, you don’t necessarily have to spend thousands of dollars to get a great computer. In fact, we’ve written a whole guide about the best laptops under $500. The winner? The HP Pavilion x360.

The Pavilion x360 is more of a two-in-one than a laptop, so you can use it as a tablet or as a laptop, which is great for those looking for a versatile machine. On top of that, the computer boasts an Intel Core i3-6100U, which is coupled with 6GB of RAM. You’ll also get a 500GB hard drive.

When it comes to ports, the HP Pavilion x360 has two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, one headphone jack, and an HDMI port so there are plenty of ports for almost all situations. There are plenty of other reviewers who like the HP Pavilion x360, too. Laptop Mag gave it 4/5 stars, and buyers give it 4.1/5 stars on Amazon.  

The downsides? Well, it would be nice to have a solid-state drive rather than a hard disk drive, and the display isn’t all that great, but for less than $500, it's a great deal.

Pros: Great price, decent specs, plenty of ports

Cons: Hard disk drive, lackluster display

Buy the HP Pavilion x360 on Amazon for $568

The best lightweight laptop

Why you'll love it: The Huawei MateBook X is super slim and lightweight, so you can carry it with you all day without breaking your back.

Huawei is new to laptops, but its new lineup of MateBooks is impressive. Of the three new models, the most portable, powerful, and attractive one is the MateBook X. At first glance, you'll think it's a MacBook because it is so slim and gorgeous in gold or dark gray.

If you want a portable laptop that won't weigh you down, the MateBook X delivers. It weighs just 2.3 pounds and measures 12.5mm thick. Huawei brags that it's the size of a magazine, and it truly is. The 2K screen has a resolution of 2,160 x 1,1440 pixels and a 4.4mm bezel to give you a gorgeous 13-inch screen that's great for watching Netflix, or you know, doing actual work.

You can get the MateBook with your choice of 7th Generation Intel processors, including Core i5 or Core i7. Both models have 8GB of RAM, but the Core i7 version gets 512GB of storage to the Core i5's 256GB of storage. The Core i5 version should be more than enough for most people, and you'll save $200 if you opt for it over the Core i7 MateBook X.

Rounding out the specs are a Dolby Atmos Sound System, a slick fingerprint sensor, and Windows 10 Home. We tested the MateBook X and came away impressed by the slick design, slim build, gorgeous screen, and fast fingerprint sensor. Our favorite thing about it is undoubtedly its portability. When you have to carry your laptop to work or school every day, this is exactly what you want: a laptop that weighs just 2.3 pounds and takes up very little space in your bag.

The only tangible downsides to the MateBook X— besides its high price tag — is its lack of ports. It only has two USB-C ports: one for charging and the other for your peripherals. That means you need a dongle or a dock to connect to anything that's not USB-C. Luckily, Huawei remedies that problem with an included Mate Dock 2, which includes a USB-A port, USB-C port, HDMI port, and VGA port.

Expert reviewers agree that the MateBook X is a great buy for those who prioritize style and portability, including Digital Trends, TechRadar, The Guardian, and Laptop Mag.

Pros: Super slim and lightweight, powerful, attractive display, portable, good speakers

Cons: Expensive, few ports

Buy the Huawei MateBook X on Amazon for $1,099.99 (Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage) or $1,299.99 (Core i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage) — currently on sale for $799.99

Higher education doesn't come cheap in the United States — citizens collectively hold about $1.31 trillion in college loan debt.

Things are hardly this dire in certain other countries, where everything from preschool to university is paid for — at least in part — by the government.

Some governments even cover the entire cost of a college education, leaving graduates with zero debt and a clean slate to start their new careers.

Business Insider spoke with four people from different European countries to find out what it's really like to get a free education.

SEE ALSO: 16 of the most beautiful schools in the world

France

What do you pay for university?

Public university is still free except for about €200 ($237) of fees, which include basic healthcare.

What's it like to pay so little?

We are happy and grateful to not have to think about the huge amounts of debt awaiting us after graduation. You can focus on the studies that matter to you rather than the most lucrative ones.

Are there any drawbacks?

Many students in France also have to work during their studies to afford basic things like eating and housing etc. and this can affect their success or the length of their studies compared to students whose parents can help pay for you.

— Marie-Catherine Beuth, Managing Editor, Business Insider France

Germany

What do you pay for university?

I was enrolled from 2009-2015. During this time period there was some variation in university fees. The total fee during that time was ~€500 ($592) per semester (6 months). Before and after, the university was almost "free."

What's it like to pay so little?

I have a lot of friends who studied in the UK and the USA (mostly universities which have very good ranking), who had to pay significantly more for their university.

We discussed the topic several times and actually came to the conclusion that there is little to no difference between Ivy League schools or highly ranked UK universities and my university in terms of the content covered.

This means, although I paid considerably less, I had access to the same quantity and quality of knowledge through my lectures as they did. From my perspective, this was obviously a very satisfying conclusion.

Are there any drawbacks?

The professor/student ratio was generally much higher at my university. There was less course/project work in my course, compared to the highly-ranked and expensive universities that my friends attended. 

— Andrej Guminski, Research Associate at Research Association for Energy Economics

Denmark

What do you pay for university?

Totally free. You only have to pay for the books you need.

What's it like to pay so little?

Everybody has the same opportunity to pursue a university degree no matter if they were born into rags or riches.

By removing the perception of education being an economic investment in yourself or in your children, you generally see that students choose a program that is not a necessarily the practical and obvious choice but which is what they are passionate about.

This is also one of the reasons why it is very common for students to begin on a degree and afterwards change program or university entirely within the first two semesters.

Are there any drawbacks?

With education being free, the Danish word "evighedsstuderende" has risen. The direct translation would be 'eternity student' and it refers to a person who never finishes his studies but continuously keeps changing study program year after year. 

Another potential drawback is that people don't necessarily choose a study program based on their future job opportunities.

— Daniel Borup Jakobsen, VP Marketing, Plecto