Amateur sky-watchers in Canada, in conjunction with NASA scientists, have made a startling discovery after years of looking up at the stars: a new type of aurora.

They named it STEVE, an acronym for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement. 

While the new aurora may appear similar to the famous northern lights (or aurora borealis), it's a phenomenon previously unknown to science. Rather than the traditional greens and blue hues of other auroras, Steve appears to the human eye as purplish, and is surrounded by a green, fence-like structure.

The aurora is a narrow band of light, and it appears much closer to the equator than the northern lights — welcome news for people who want to see the phenomenon but aren't able to make a trip to the Arctic circle. 

It's fleeting, though — sightings last between 20 minutes and an hour, according to NASA.

The strange lights were first reported by citizen scientists in Southern Canada in 2015. The amateurs formed a group, and started working with a team of aurora researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center called Aurorasaurus.

The amateur scientists shared their images of the mysterious lights with NASA to figure out their source, and the collaboration led them to publish the findings in the journal Science Advances on Tuesday.

Check out some beautiful images of the aurora below: 

SEE ALSO: 'It's like winning the cosmic lottery': An amateur astronomer caught the first ever photos of a star exploding

After comparing the images the amateurs submitted with satellite data, the NASA researchers found they were looking at a whole new type of aurora.

Source: Aurorasaurus

Auroras are created when charged particles emanating from the sun interact with our planet's magnetic field, resulting in brilliant displays of green, blue, and red light.

Steve, however, travels on a different magnetic field than other auroras, which is why it's spotted at lower latitudes.

• Long-distance relationships aren't for everyone, writes author Steven John, who spent the first three years of his relationship with his now-wife living in a different state.
• He notes that long-distance relationships aren't for everyone, but there are ways to make things run more smoothly.
• Communication and planning for a future where you'll be physically together are key.

My wife and I never spent more than two weeks of uninterrupted time together before we got married.

We met when I was visiting LA on a break from college and she had recently moved to the area. She and I spent every possible moment together until I had to head back to school on the East Coast and we officially began a long-distance relationship.

As months turned into years, we constantly traveled back and forth between coasts, cities, and countries to see each other. Then we got married and now we’re expecting our second kid!

The point is that for the first three and some years of what has now been a 16-year relationship, we lived far apart, and often quite far at that, but we made it work.

Here's how we did it:

SEE ALSO: 9 things I wish I knew before I got married

We put an emphasis on good communication

While living apart, in any given week my then-girlfriend (now wife) and I spent a lot of time talking on the phone. This involved planned calls during which we knew we would both be available and distraction free as well as quick calls to ask a little question, tell a stupid joke, or just say something sweet.

In any relationship, communication is key. In a long-distance relationship especially, all you and your partner have when it comes to communicating are your actual words. I recommend only saying what you really mean and verbalizing everything you want your partner to know. Little rifts or confusions that could be patched with a kiss or a hand laid on an arm can grow needlessly in long-distance relationships, and they take much more time and effort to heal from afar.

We didn't waste any time when we were physically together

When I visited my girlfriend after weeks or even months of being apart, we didn’t go on bar crawls, go to concerts, schedule ski trips, or whatever else people do when friends are visiting. We spent our time working on our romantic relationship. I'm not just talking about sex; romance, cuddling, and intimacy are all just as vital to a healthy relationship. We took advantage of being together whenever we had the chance.

At the very least, we found it's good to make sure you and your partner can enjoy each other in total comfort when you finally see each other. Whether a relationship is long distance or involves a shared bed, bathroom, and Netflix queue, the same components have to be in place for it to work — communication, patience, affection, and trust.

We kept a close eye on our travel expenses

While we were in college, my wife and I knew we would always be near enough to drive to each other around the holidays and summer vacations at home since we grew up in New York and Washington, DC, respectively. We always planned car trips during these periods, but during the gaps when we were at school or traveling, we would trawl the web for cheap flights.

Travel isn't cheap these days, and that's especially true if you and your partner live far enough apart that flights are the only logical way to meet up. As often as possible, we planned our visits in advance and were flexible with the dates. We even set up flight alerts for low-cost travel options in hopes of finding reasonable flights. Just because you and your SO are deeply in love and committed and such, doesn't mean you need to spend a small fortune to be together.

As the legal-cannabis industry continues to grow at a breakneck pace, investors from Wall Street to Silicon Valley are seeing green.

Venture-capital investors from around the world spent $355 million on 100 marijuana-industry deals in 2017, and 2018 is on pace to break last year's record. By the end of February, there were 19 venture-backed deals in the industry worth $176 million alone, and that doesn't factor in the money investors have poured into hedge funds set up to take advantage of the budding industry.

For Business Insider's first-ever list of rising stars in the marijuana-investment space, we asked readers to submit nominations and surveyed our past coverage of the industry. The list celebrates top investors from Wall Street to Silicon Valley and a number of places in between.

Federal prohibition has prevented most American institutional investors and top venture-capital firms from investing in the space. The situation has given rise to a number of marijuana-specific venture firms in the US — funded by high-net-worth individuals and family offices — and provided an opening for Canadian firms. Both these groups are well represented on our list.

We considered any active investors who have made investments in the marijuana industry, whether their contributions come from angel investing, venture capital, or hedge funds.

These are the rising stars of the marijuana-investment scene.

SEE ALSO: The highest-valued marijuana companies of 2017 reveal 2 key insights about the booming industry

Tahira Rehmatullah began her career as an investment manager at Privateer Holdings before moving to a leadership position at a cannabis-focused venture-capital fund.

Title: Managing Director, Hypur Ventures

Type: Venture Capital

Location: New York City

In the past year, Hypur Ventures, a cannabis-focused fund, has invested in five cannabis companies. The portfolio includes venerated brands like Dope Magazine and the industry intelligence firm Headset.

A graduate of Yale's School of Management, Rehmatullah serves as the CFO of MTech Acquisition Corp., a company formed to acquire ancillary cannabis companies — such as software platforms and payroll processors — and help them expand.

Micah Tapman, a former Marine, is a founding partner at accelerator CanopyBoulder, which counts many of the industry's most successful startups among its graduates.

Title: Managing Director, CanopyBoulder

Type: Venture Capital

Location: Boulder, Colorado

CanopyBoulder is an accelerator for seed-stage companies on the ancillary side of the cannabis industry. Founded in 2015, it counts successful startups such as Bloom Automation and Flowhub among its graduates.

The company recently launched a $50 million growth-stage fund under Tapman's management to invest in cannabis startups in the ag-tech, biotech, blockchain, machine learning, and retail tech sectors.

Tapman and his partner, Patrick Rea, have sourced more than 90 deals and helped Canopy alumni raise more than $15 million.

Jeanne Sullivan, a founder of StarVest partners, is championing female entrepreneurs and investors in cannabis.

Title: Chief Inspiration Officer, Sullivan Adventures

Type: Angel Investor

Location: New York City

After nearly two decades serving as a founding partner at New York City-based StarVest Partners, a venture firm focused on early-stage tech companies, Sullivan turned her attention to cannabis in 2014.

Sullivan has made angel investments in a number of cannabis companies owned by women, and she is a frequent speaker at cannabis-industry events. She is also part of the Arcview Group, a networking body that connects budding entrepreneurs with investors.

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.

• Qatar Airways won 2017's awards for best airline and best business class.
• The airline flies from 10 US cities — plus Las Vegas, later this year — and operates an extensive network throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, with connections through Doha, Qatar.
• The airline's new business class is a fantastic product, but even economy class stands out from the competition, offering a comfortable option for long-haul flights.

Last year, Qatar Airways was named 2017's best airline by Skytrax, the authoritative airline review and ranking consultancy group. Qatar only started flying in 1994, but over the past decade its been on a roll: It's won the top Skytrax honor four times since 2010.  

The award is based on customer feedback — Skytrax surveys millions of travelers all around the world. For the 2017 awards, more than 19 million individual entries were received. The questionnaire covers topics ranging from the airport and check-in experience, to the onboard "hard" product, like seats and cabin atmosphere, and the "soft" product, like food and in-flight entertainment, to the cabin service, which covers just about everyone you'd interact with from boarding to disembarkment.

Qatar Airways also won the 2017 award for the best business class overall product, shortly after the airline announced its new "Qsuite" business class product — fully enclosed "suites" in the air with seats that can fold into flat beds, and even combine into double-beds in the middle aisle. The airline only offers first class on its small fleet of A380 superjumbo jets, so it's invested heavily in its business class product instead.

There are 10 US cities that are currently serviced by Qatar Airways: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. It's also announced plans to launch a route to Las Vegas later this year. Because Qatar is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance, you can book connecting flights on Oneworld partner American Airlines, or non-alliance codeshare partner JetBlue, as part of the same itinerary. 

Qatar offers routes to around 150 destinations, with connections through its airport hub in Doha, Qatar. Routes throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are all compelling for US-based travelers. 

I recently had a chance to tour a Qatar Airways 777-300ER plane while it was parked at New York's JFK airport in between trips. I was able to test the seats and the in-flight entertainment, explore the business class and economy cabins, and sample the business class catering and amenities, as well as interact with the cabin crew that would be working on the flight later that evening.

While this was a staged media event, which is obviously different than actually flying the airline, it became clear why Qatar won Skytrax's 2017 top honors.

Take a look below at some of the best features of Qsuites business class and economy class on Qatar Airways.

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

SEE ALSO: You can access more than 1,000 airport lounges with this credit card — here are the best ones

Most of Qatar's flights to the US are operated by Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft.

The new Qsuites business class, which features a door that you can close for privacy, is installed on planes flying to New York and Washington DC, with more routes on the way.

Other cities in the US are served by aircraft with Qatar's older award-winning business class seats, although a Qatar Airways executive told Business Insider that the entire fleet will have Qsuites in two years.

Click here to search for flights on Qatar Airways.

If you're working toward earning a salary that will deem you "rich" in your city, it may take some time.

One benchmark you can use on your way to wealth: Making it into the top 50% of earners.

If you're earning at least $71,897 in New York City, you make more money than half the population there. You're also technically middle class. To make it into the top 50% of earners in Los Angeles, you need to bring in $65,950 annually.

Here, we've highlighted the annual household income required to be in the top 50% in 50 major US metro areas, from lowest to highest.

All data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2016 American Community Survey 1-year estimates.

SEE ALSO: How much money you have to earn to be considered rich in 27 major US cities

DON'T MISS: Silicon Valley is so expensive that people who make $400,000 think they're middle-class — here's what the middle class actually is in the 25 largest US cities

50. New Orleans, Louisiana: $48,804

49. Memphis, Tennessee: at least $49,809

48. Tampa, Florida: at least $51,115

As Hollywood deals with the reckoning of the #MeToo and Time's Up movement, many moviegoers are seeking female-driven films with renewed fervor. With Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time"— directed by Ava DuVernay — already in theaters, let's look ahead to the coming months.

From big-budget comedies to indie Sundance hits, here are 14 movies directed by women you won't want to miss in 2018.

"What They Had"— directed by Elizabeth Chomko

Synopsis:"A woman must fly back to her hometown when her Alzheimer's-stricken mother wanders into a blizzard. The return home forces her to confront her past."

Stars: Michael Shannon, Hillary Swank, Blythe Danner and Robert Forster

Watch a clip from the movie here. 

"6 Balloons"— directed by Marja-Lewis Ryan

Synopsis: "Over the course of one night, a woman drives across LA with her heroin addict brother in search of a detox center, with his two year old daughter in tow."

Stars: Abbi Jacobson, Dave Franco, Tim Matheson and Jane Kaczmarek

Watch the full trailer here.

"You Were Never Really Here"— directed by Lynne Ramsay

Synopsis: "A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening."

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Dante Pereira-Olson, Larry Canady

Watch the full trailer here.

• Income inequality measures the gap between the richest people and the rest of the population.
• In the US, southern states and high-population states tend to have the worst levels of income inequality.
• See where your state ranks compared to the rest below.

The gap between rich Americans and poor Americans has been a cause for concern in the United States for decades.

But although that gap has gotten significantly worse since the 1970s, income inequality is not the same across each state.

Careers data site Zippia used data from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey to rank all 50 states by income inequality.

The states are ranked by their Gini coefficient, a commonly used metric that quantifies income inequality on a scale from one to 100. The lower the score, the more equal the income distribution — a  score of 100 would mean that one person controls all the wealth in an economy.

As a country, the US fares pretty poorly when it comes to income inequality: according to the CIA Factbook, the US has the 40th highest level of inequality out of 150 countries — around the same level as Jamaica, Peru, and Cameroon.

Within the US, there are some clear trends: the states with the least inequality tended to be western states and states with low populations, while the most inequality occurred in high-population states and southern states.

The results line up with previous research that showed that people in the South have much lower odds of moving from the lowest income bracket to the highest, and that people in the West have the best chances of doing the same.

Analysis from political geographer Richard Morrill showed that areas like the South, where income inequality was more pronounced, also have high minority populations. Meanwhile, heavily homogenous areas with high Germanic and Scandinavian populations — like the West — tended to have the most income equality, he found.

Read on to see how your state stacks up against the rest:

SEE ALSO: This map shows where Americans have the best chances of going from poor to rich

DON'T MISS: This map shows the US really has 11 separate 'nations' with entirely different cultures

50. Alaska

Gini coefficient: 41.74

49. Utah

Gini coefficient: 42.61

48. Wyoming

Gini coefficient: 42.79

SEE ALSO: Research shows that money can buy happiness if you spend it these 4 ways

Day one

10:30 a.m. — I justify sleeping this late because I'm fighting off a near-constant sinus infection. For breakfast I have a bowl of overnight oats, which I make in bulk most weekends. This week's huge batch contains blueberries, bananas, chia seeds, oats, coconut yoghurt, almond milk, and leftover flax seeds. I eat while sitting in front of my SAD lamp (for Seasonal Affective Disorder). I'm prone to Vitamin D-deficiency, so I've borrowed my mum's light to see if it helps me feel better in the winter.

11 a.m. — Today is Book Day. Most weeks, I work on a self-imposed schedule of three days freelance copywriting followed by two days of work on my novel. Without it, it can be all too easy to neglect the novel, as it (currently) doesn't make me any money. This week, I moved my book days to the beginning so that I can work on sending chapters to an agent before the end of the month – eek! Before I start, though, I have a bit of wedmin (wedding admin) to do. My boyfriend and I have been engaged for five-and-a-half years and have finally decided to get the wedding ball rolling. I bought a dress last week, and we're trying to tie down a venue now.

2 p.m. — Time has seriously run away from me. After some heavy wedmin, a chat on the phone with my mum, and lunch consisting of a big bowl of roasted veggies, quinoa, and hummus (homemade in bulk; our hummus consumption is too vast to justify buying it), I finally make my way into my pseudo-office. Then, I Uber to the dry cleaners with the aforementioned wedding dress. (It was a sample sale purchase, so it was recommended that I get it cleaned). $16.36

3 p.m. — Get to the dry cleaners and it turns out it's going to cost over $190 for the clean! This is more than double what the bridal store estimated, but I saved so much on the dress that it should still work out as a good deal over all. I hand over my card, feeling a little sick and a little too flustered to question the cost. On the way out, I decide I'll bring it up when I collect the dress. $196

3:30 p.m. — Stop to grab coffees for me and my boyfriend. I get access to the shared workspace that I use as an office through his work (and it's free!), and his office happens to be in the same building. We chat for a couple of minutes after I give him the coffee, and then I settle in for some writing while munching on a homemade cookie. (I used a cookie recipe from Lucy Watson's cookbook and was initially skeptical of buying a cookbook written by a reality TV star, but these cookies are SO GOOD. They're vegan but they don't taste it). $7

6 p.m. — Multiple breaks throughout the afternoon for snacks (lentil chips and then peanut butter and banana) and random internet browsing.

6:45 p.m. — Meet my friend for salsa class. We signed up a few weeks ago, inspired by our New Year's resolutions. As a socially awkward person with no coordination, dance class is a challenge for me, plus it's an additional expense, but it's good for my mental health. It's actually quite fun and I get see to see my friend on a weekly basis, which is lovely. I have a splitting headache when I arrive but hope I'll forget about it once we start.

8:30 p.m. — Head home after an hour of dancing very close to people I don't know and making awkward small talk with a fellow classmate. Still, it was fun and my headache is gone. My friend and I walk to the Tube while discussing how nice it is to spend time in class where you can't check your phone or really think about anything other than the choreography. We hug and make plans to hang out in a week or so. I spend the rest of the journey thinking about the bagel I'm going to make when I get home while also indulging my inner emo teenager by listening to 30 Seconds To Mars. (I recently discovered I love them. Jared Leto is a beautiful man. I have no shame.) $8

9:30 p.m. — I mooch about the house while I wait for my boyfriend to get back from football – I said I'd wait for him to eat, as he hasn't had dinner yet either. Chuck a load of washing in and feed Gerty, my sourdough starter. We were given a sourdough class for Christmas, and it was there that Gerty was born. For the next week, I have to feed it water and flour before I can use it (her? - the teacher heavily anthropomorphized her own starter, and now I feel the need to as well) to bake. My boyfriend gets home and we have bagels — his with avocado and goat's curd, and mine with avocado and vegan cream cheese. We watch old episodes of Travel Man while we polish off the last of the cookies, and then get to bed around 11.

Day two

Day three

6 a.m. — My boyfriend's alarm goes off at an unholy hour, but I barely even register it. All I notice is the vague buzzing of the sound trying to break into my comfy-ness and the fact that it's still dark outside. I'm pretty sure he showers, but either he's gotten very good at getting ready quietly or I've gotten great at sleeping through the noises, as I hear nothing.

• Jacquelyn Ward and Ana Maes saw an opportunity in the wedding dress market after attempting to sell their used wedding dresses online.
• Together, the two opened New York City's only consignment shop for wedding dresses.
• Today, Our Story Bridal sells pre-owned wedding dresses from high-end designers such as Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and Carolina Herrera. 

Jacquelyn Ward and Ana Maes want to give wedding dresses a second life.

The two women co-founded Our Story Bridal, New York City's only consignment wedding dress boutique, after struggling to sell their own used wedding dresses.

For Meas, it took two years after her wedding to sell her wedding dress, and Ward had a similar experience. "Girls were coming to my cramped New York apartment, trying on the dress in front of my husband and dog, [while I was] trying to get money to make sure I wasn't scammed," Ward told Business Insider. 

Ward and Maes, who met while attending Wharton Business School, knew there had to be a better way for savvy brides who wanted a designer wedding dress at a fraction of the cost — and brides who wanted to sell their dresses post-wedding.   

After launching a successful pop-up shop in Manhattan with about 40 pre-owned wedding dresses, the two had a waiting list of over 300 brides wanting to see and try on the used dresses. 

Last May, they opened a brick and mortar location that provides brides-to-be the luxury of shopping in a small, boutique-like store, filled with over 200 used wedding dresses. Designers such as Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and Carolina Herrera line the racks with heavy discounts — anywhere between 30% to 80% off retail price.

The average cost of a wedding dress in the US is $1,564, according to The Knot, but designer wedding dresses carry much higher price tags.

Both Ward and Maes tout the success of Rent The Runway, which allows customers to rent designer clothing for a fraction of the retail cost, for helping change how consumers view pre-owned wedding dresses.

While visiting the location, we documented bride-to-be Amy Pan, who was shopping for her upcoming wedding. 

SEE ALSO: Go inside the gorgeous New York offices where startup Rent the Runway wants to revolutionize fashion

Although Ward and Maes accept wedding dresses from sellers across the US, most of their inventory comes from brides in New York City. They only take dresses from the last three years, with a focus on high-end designers such as Vera Wang, Galia Lahav, and Inbal Dror. "[Our dresses] reflect the diversity in the city," said Ward.

Because the store is a consignment shop, the sellers are paid once a dress is sold. Wedding dresses can be on the rack for six months, and Our Story Bridal takes 35% of the commission on sales.

All wedding dresses are dry cleaned before going out onto the floor.

• Passport strength measures how easy it is to travel for citizens of each country.
• Countries in Western Europe dominate the list of strongest passports, according to financial consulting company Nomad Capitalist.
• The US passport allows Americans to travel to many countries, but other factors push it down to 35th place.

Passports are your key to traveling the world — but people from certain countries have it better than others.

Nomad Capitalist, a financial consulting company, ranked every country in the world by passport strength to see which travelers get the most out of their citizenship.

Passport strength is typically measured purely by the number of countries one can travel to without a visa or with visa on arrival. However, Nomad Capitalist factored in other metrics to get a better picture of which passport offers the most benefits to those who hold it.

The company weighed five metrics:

1. The number of countries a passport holder can visit without a visa or with visa on arrival. (This accounted for 50% of a country's total passport score)
2. The level of taxes a country imposes on citizens who live and earn income overseas. (20% of the total score)
3. The perception of a country abroad, including whether passport holders from certain countries frequently encounter hostility or are refused entry upon arrival. (10% of the total score)
4. The degree to which a country allows dual citizenship (10% of the total score)
5. The level of freedom in a country, including the freedom of citizens who live abroad (10% of the total score)

Using these metrics, there was a clear winner: Nearly every country in the top 10 was in Western Europe. The only outlier, New Zealand, managed to tie for tenth place. The United States, typically among the leaders in passport strength when measured by visa-free travel, falls all the way to 35th when accounting for the other factors.

Read on to see the 10 strongest passports in the world, and click here to see the full rankings. 

SEE ALSO: This couple flew around the world in first class using airline points — and paid less than $2,000 for $55,000 of airfare

DON'T MISS: 13 places to visit in May for every type of traveler

T-10. New Zealand

Nomad Passport Score: 107.5

Visa-free travel: 173 countries

Taxation: 30/50

Perception: 50/50

Freedom: 50/50

Dual citizenship allowed: Yes

T-10. Germany

Nomad Passport Score: 107.5

Visa-free travel: 179 countries

Taxation: 30/50

Perception: 40/50

Freedom: 40/50

Dual citizenship allowed: Yes

T-5. Denmark

Nomad Passport Score: 108

Visa-free travel: 178 countries

Taxation: 30/50

Perception: 50/50

Freedom: 40/50

Dual citizenship allowed: Yes

Zendaya has gone from Disney star to a box-office wonder. She's currently having a Hollywood moment and it's not going to end any time soon.

She was only 14 years old when she landed her first onscreen role on Disney Channel. Since then, the dancer, singer, and actress has written a book, designed her own clothing line, and joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As if that wasn't enough, the 21-year-old is an activist and feminist, fighting for equality and diversity.

Here's a look at how Zendaya has managed to take over Hollywood:

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman was born September 1, 1996 and grew up in Oakland, California.

Source: Twitter

Her name is pronounced Zen-DAY-uh.

Source: Twitter

She was introduced to theater and acting as a young child, because her mother was the house manager at the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda.

Source: Diablo Magazine

Eggs are a common breakfast staple, but it can get tiring eating eggs the same way every day. Before you banish that egg carton from your fridge, you might want to check out some of these unique ways to use an egg.

From one-pot meals to garden growers and cocktail creations, there are more ways to use an add than you might think.

Mix an egg in a cocktail

Allen Lancaster, master cocktail craftsman atThe Bar at The Spectator Hotel, uses egg whites in his famous Bee's Sneeze cocktail. He told INSIDER that adding egg whites to a cocktail contributes a frothy texture and helps round off sharp flavors. Classic cocktails like a gin fizz or a pisco sour have been a crowd favorites for years.

"The key to a good egg white libation is the shake — two shakes are necessary. One 'dry shake' without ice and then a finishing shake with the ice," said Lancaster.

And when it comes to safety concerns, he said it's best to use organic eggs or pasteurized egg whites. The high-proof spirits and citric acid in the cocktail keeps microbial enemies from the eggs in check.

Crack an egg on your skin

Who said eggs are just for eating? Believe it or not, eggs are now being used in all kinds of skincare products and have shown incredible results.

"Between yolks, whites, and even the shell membrane, eggs are being utilized by people all across the globe for maintaining clear and healthy skin," Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert forMaple Holistics, told INSIDER.

Backe explained that eggs contain a water-soluble protein called albumin which can work to both tighten pores and firm your skin. Additionally, both commercial and home formulas can be a cheap and easy way to manage sebum control and minimize whiteheads and blackheads.

Furthermore, eggs are loaded with ovum oil, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which can promote healthy cell growth while providing nourishing moisture to your skin.

Use it as an easy protein in a one-pot meal.

Executive Chef Kevan Vetter, from McCormick and Co, told INSIDER that one of his favorite one-pan meals includes eggs.

"Eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients. With endless ways to cook, season and flavor, they have become the go-to, protein-rich ingredient for enjoying any time of the day," he said.

He recommended a flavorful Shakshuka to use simple but flavorful ingredients, like eggs. 

• Toys R Us filed for liquidation on Thursday.
• The store blamed rivals like Amazon, Walmart, and Target for undercutting it on price.
• Some retailers are set to benefit from Toys R Us' going out of business.

RIP Toys R Us.

On Wednesday, the US's best-known toy store informed employees that it would be closing or selling its more than 700 stores in the US. On Thursday morning, filed for liquidation.

In a conference call with employees on Wednesday, CEO David Brandon partly blamed its downfall on a devastating holiday season, when sales were less than half of the $600 million it usually expects.

The company has lashed out at its competitors, saying Walmart, Target, and Amazon created the "perfect storm" to kill off the chain after cutting prices on toys during the holiday season. Toys R Us said it could not offer such low prices because of its reliance on toy sales.

These rivals, along with several stores, are now set to capitalize on Toys R Us' demise:

SEE ALSO: Claire's is reportedly planning to file for bankruptcy as dying American malls claim another victim

Walmart

Walmart is the largest toy retailer in the country.

In 2017, it doubled down on its efforts to capture more of this market, adding 1,000 new toys to its selection during the holidays, offering exclusive products, and being more competitive on price. Toys R Us said in its liquidation filing that these price cuts were one of the big reasons behind the weak holiday sales that crippled the company. 

Given its large store base in the US, Walmart is well-positioned to capture the lost foot traffic from Toys R Us stores. It is also the second-largest online toy retailer, following Amazon. 

Amazon

Amazon is leading the way in online sales of toys. In 2016, toy sales amounted to $2.16 billion in sales, according to data from Ecommercedb.com. This figure eclipsed sales numbers from Walmart and Toys R Us.

Amazon is winning over parents who are ditching stores to shop online for toys. Online retailing has doubled its share — 14.7% of consumers say they now go online to purchase toys, versus 7.3% five years ago, according to a report done by Fung Global Retail & Technology.

Amazon wants its customers to know it's getting serious here. This month, it sponsored Khloe Kardashian's over-the-top baby shower.

"So grateful to be surrounded by a beautiful support system. And special thank you to @Amazon for helping me bring it all together! ... #AllOnAmazon#AmazonBabyRegistry," Kardashian captioned her Instagram post.

Target

Target was also singled out by Toys R Us as being part of a triumvirate of retailers that contributed most to its declining sales.

During the holiday, Target reported stronger-than-expected sales results thanks to surging online sales and more store traffic. While Target does not report its toy sales separately, Reuters reported in January that the lack of other strong retail and online players who sell toys would have helped the company to keep its "loyalists" away from bankrupt Toys R Us.

Similar to Walmart, Target has a strong store presence in the US and a growing online platform, which means it's well-positioned to scoop up former Toys R Us customers. 

• We've compiled a list of how many calories you can burn doing a number of popular exercises.
• If you want to see how many calories you can burn with practically any exercise, you can check those as well.
• But remember, the best exercise to burn calories is the one you like enough to keep doing it over time.

There are a lot of great reasons to exercise. But one of the most basic goals is to burn calories.

The best way to do that is by picking something you like enough to do regularly over time. That might be running, might be swimming, or might be tennis or soccer. If you are deciding between a few different activities, you may want to pick the one that burns the most energy.

The Mayo Clinic, drawing on research published by the National Institutes of Health, ranks 36 popular forms of exercise based on their caloric impacts. We've ranked those — and added a few more exercises — in another article. Here, we've listed ten of the more popular forms of exercise, with approximate calories burned per hour.

Each graphic lists calories burned per hour for a 200-pound person, while the header above lists calories burned for a 160-pound person. (According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American women weigh 168.5 pounds on average, compared with 195.7 pounds for the average American man.)

Exact figures vary across body types, gender, age, and other factors. Additionally, exercise on its own doesn't do much to make you lose weight. If you want to slim down, we suggest talking to a doctor about what a healthy weight is for you and cutting down on sugar and large portions.

Get out there and get moving. Have fun.

SEE ALSO: The 39 best ways to burn the most calories in an hour

Rollerblading: 548 calories/hour for a 160-pound person, 683 calories/hour for a 200-pound person

This calculation is for "recreational" rollerblading, though athletes traveling at top speeds will burn even more calories.

Basketball: 584 calories/hour for a 160-pound person

Flag football: 584 calories/hour for a 160-pound person

US Marines and Israeli special forces units practiced urban warfare, helicopter insertions, and medevac operations in a mock Middle East village, complete with Arabic graffiti and its own mosque.

The drills, dubbed "Juniper Cobra," are intended to strengthen the already strong ties between Israel and the US, and for troops from both countries to share lessons learned in war zones like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Gaza. 

"They teach them what to see when they were either in the Gaza Strip or somewhere else on the battlefield, for us in Afghanistan and Iraq, and teach that young soldier what to look for," Lieutenant-Colonel Marcus Mainz of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit told Reuters.

"We are willing to work and train together, and if God wills it, if we ever need to be side by side, then we will," Mainz said. 

Take a look at the photos here:

SEE ALSO: Insane photos of US Marines drinking cobra blood during a jungle survival exercise in Thailand

The main focus of Juniper Cobra is urban warfare training.

Some of the urban warfare simulations were live fire drills, meaning live ammunition was used to make it as realistic as possible.

US Marines and Israeli soldiers taught each other lessons they had learned from the respective war zones they had been deployed to.

Toys R Us officially filed papers to liquidate its US business early Thursday.

The company told employees on Wednesday that it would sell or close all of its more than 700 US stores.

We visited Toys R Us' holiday pop-up store in New York City's Times Square last September, shortly after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, to see what the store was like.

At the time, we didn't realize it would be one of the last stores the chain would ever open. 

SEE ALSO: Walmart learned a valuable lesson a decade ago — and it's a warning for huge companies like Amazon

The temporary Toys R Us in Times Square was in the famous Knickerbocker building.

Walking in, we were immediately struck by how clean the shelves were.

Though it was noon on a Tuesday, there was a good number of people shopping — some had children and others didn't, and some clearly were tourists.

The happiest countries in the world have a lot in common — including their policies on immigration.

For the latest World Happiness Report, a yearly ranking from the United Nations that assesses a country's average well-being by looking at its income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, and trust and generosity, the authors paid particular attention to migration.

"Perhaps the most striking finding of the whole report is that a ranking of countries according to the happiness of their immigrant populations is almost exactly the same as for the rest of the population," the authors of the report wrote.

Finland earned the number one spot on the list this year.

Here's a snapshot of the top 20 countries on the 2018 list:

SEE ALSO: 13 ways one type of exercise is the closest thing to a miracle drug we have

20. Czech Republic — The country bumped Chile out of the top 21 countries this year.

20. United Arab Emirates — The most significant factor in the UAE's positive ranking (which improved one place since last year) was its GDP per capita, followed by its social support.

19. United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland remained in the same spot as last year, with social support and per capita GDP appearing to play the biggest roles in its score.

• An interview for a job is a chance to showcase your unique skills and stellar personality.
• The first few minutes of an interview are key for making a positive impression on the hiring manager.
• Some simple strategies for wowing the hiring manager include making eye contact and being open to small talk.

First impressions can be hard to shake — and that's especially true in a 30-minute job interview.

So you'll want to wow the hiring manager as quickly as possible. It's mostly a matter of preparing ahead of time so that, even if you get nervous, you'll know exactly how to behave.

Below, we've rounded up the best strategies for impressing the hiring manager within the first five minutes of a job interview — or sooner.

SEE ALSO: 21 psychological tricks that will help you ace a job interview

Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early

Most everyone knows being late for a job interview can be a big turnoff. But showing up as early as possible isn't necessarily appealing either.

Business Insider previously spoke to a number of career experts, who agreed that the ideal time to show up for a job interview is 10 to 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.

Any earlier than that and you could frustrate the hiring manager, who's probably busy with other responsibilities.

Be polite to the receptionist

There are eyes everywhere — especially at the front desk.

Business Insider's Rachel Gillett reported that some hiring managers check in with their receptionist to find out how you behaved before the interview — and the person's feedback can affect your chances of landing the position.

Tupperware CEO Rick Goings told Business Insider's Aine Cain something similar: After a job interview, he always asks his lead receptionist how the candidate treated her.

Make eye contact when you meet the person

When the hiring manager comes to greet you, be sure to look him or her in the eye. A shifty gaze doesn't scream "likeable" or even "smart."

In one study, a pair of Northeastern University researchers asked participants to watch videos of strangers talking to each other for the first time and then rate how intelligent each person seemed. Results showed that the people who consistently made eye contact while speaking were considered more intelligent than those who didn't make eye contact.

• Consumer Reports released its rating of America's 11 major commercial airlines.
• The airlines are scored based on survey responses from more than 55,000 travelers who completed domestic flights between July 2016 and June 2017.
• In economy, all airlines received low scores for seat comfort and legroom while also struggling with in-flight entertainment and WiFi connectivity.

The complexities of air travel can be overwhelming these days. Even with fewer airlines, the process of choosing which one to fly can still be an exercise in frustration.

Well, Consumer Reports is here to help.

The organization, best known for its independent product evaluation and consumer advocacy, has released a comprehensive ranking of America's 11 major commercial airlines using information gathered from a survey of passengers who completed domestic flights between July 2016 and June 2017.

Parameters of the survey included questions on pricing transparency, ease of check-in, information on flight status, seating comfort, legroom, staff service, cabin cleanliness, WiFi connectivity, in-flight entertainment along with the selection of complimentary snacks and paid food and drinks.

All 11 airlines are rated based on a reader score. A score of 100 means respondents are completely satisfied with the airline. A score of 80 means passengers are very satisfied while a 60 means folks somewhat satisfied. 

Consumer Reports broke down their ratings into two segments, business/first class and economy. 

Based on replies from 5,059 respondents who made 8,702 flights in business or first class, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines earned a shared spot at the top of the premium cabin rankings with a score of 89. The duo was followed closely by Delta with a score of 85. American and United closed out the ranking with scores of 80 and 79 respectively.

Since the vast majority of us spend our time back in the economy section, we'll spend more time on this portion of the Consumer Reports ranking.

Here, the publication based its ratings on information from 52,507 respondents who completed 97, 765 flights in economy. 

According to Consumer Reports, the overall trend in economy class travel is something with which we're all familiar, it's really uncomfortable back there. Every airline in the survey received low scores for legroom and seat comfort. In addition, most airlines also struggled with in-flight entertainment and WiFi connectivity.

Here's a closer look at how the economy class offerings of America's 11 major airlines fared according to Consumer Reports:

SEE ALSO: The next big thing in airplane tech is becoming a nightmare for some airlines

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11. Spirit Airlines: Reader Score — 62

10. Frontier Airlines: 63

9. United Airlines: Reader Score — 67

• St. Patrick's Day this year is Saturday, March 17.
• All around the world, people of Irish descent celebrate their culture and heritage with parades and parties.
• Places from Montserrat to Singapore celebrate St. Patrick's Day in their own unique ways.

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and all around the world, people are gearing up for the party of a lifetime. 

The holiday, commemorating the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, gives millions of people of Irish descent a reason to celebrate their culture and heritage, and is marked by massive parades and raucous parties.

Even countries without prominent Irish populations take part in the festivities. According to historians Mike Cronin and Daryl Adair, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.

Here's what St. Patrick's Day celebrations look like around the world:

It's no surprise St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday in Ireland. Dublin celebrates with a week of festivities including a massive parade that ends at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Of course, revelers flock to local pubs along the way to grab a pint (or more)

Across the island in Limerick, people of all age show their Irish pride.