• TurboTax offers a free online tax filing service for eligible taxpayers.
• Tax season officially kicked off January 29, with a final deadline of April 17 this year.
• The IRS recommends e-filing your taxes and requesting your refund via direct deposit.
• Business Insider decided to try the free version of TurboTax's service.

Tax season is almost over.

Americans now have until April 17 to file their 2017 taxes. While the new GOP tax plan signed by President Trump in December is the law of the land, the changes won't affect your tax return this year. The new tax brackets will only affect income earned starting January 1, 2018.

If your income was less than $66,000 in 2017, many online tax services offer the option to file for your federal taxes — and sometimes state taxes — for free. You can check your options using the IRS Free File Lookup tool.

TurboTax, an offshoot of tech company Intuit, is one such software offering free services to eligible taxpayers. 

The IRS also says the fastest way to get your tax refund is the method already used by most taxpayers: filing electronically and selecting direct deposit as the method for receiving your refund. Your refund should hit your bank account within three weeks of filing online. Often, you'll get your money even faster.

I used TurboTaxes to file my taxes last year. This time around, I went on a quick trial run to demonstrate how you can use it during this year's tax season. If you're really not ready to file, TurboTax offers a free tax calculator that will estimate your tax refund for this year and next year in less than five minutes.

Of course, I didn't actually file my taxes this time around. I just went through the motions, to give you a sense of what it's like to use TurboTax. 

Here's how it works:

SEE ALSO: How to use H&R Block to file your taxes for free in 2018

DON'T MISS: H&R Block's tax calculator will estimate your refund for this year and next year — and it takes less than 5 minutes

To use TurboTax, you have to set up an account from the get-go — unlike H&R Block. I filed my taxes using TurboTax last year, but I'd completely forgot my old password. Recovering my information was quite easy, however.

If you're a TurboTax veteran like me, you can kick things off by checking your past returns, as well as your previous federal and state refunds...

... or you can dive into this year's taxes.

• The best places to visit in May are probably already on savvy travelers' lists.
• Business Insider looked at airfare trends, climate data, and peak travel times to find the best places to visit in May 2018.
• The destinations include food havens, sites of ancient ruins, and island paradises.

May is when many savvy travelers aim to cross another destination off their bucket list. Conditions are perfect — many of the world's greatest destinations start to heat up, and summer tourists have yet to descend, leaving prices relatively low and giving you plenty of space to enjoy your trip.

There are endless unique travel experiences to seek out in May, from the spiritual paradise of Bali, Indonesia and the jaw-dropping views of Machu Picchu in Peru to the world-famous barbecue competition in Memphis, Tennessee.

Business Insider looked at airfare trends, climate data, and peak travel times to figure out which vacation spots should be on your radar.

Read on to find the 13 best places to visit in May:

SEE ALSO: The 13 best places to visit in April for every type of traveler

DON'T MISS: The 13 best places to visit in March for every type of traveler

Asheville, North Carolina

May is the perfect time to visit the funky mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville offers a crisp breath of fresh air from the rest of the South, whose heat and humidity will be ratcheting up by May.

Asheville is a magnet for lovers of music, beer, and the great outdoors. Time your trip right and you'll catch the LEAF Festival for local and world music (May 10-13) or the Montford Music and Arts Festival (May 19).

Memphis, Tennessee

If food is your top priority, it's hard to pick a better destination in the US than Memphis. Barbecue is king here, and you could spend days sampling the best ribs in the city. Memphis is also a mecca for Elvis fans, and Graceland is a must-see for first-time visitors.

What makes May an especially great month to visit is the annual Memphis in May International Festival, running from May 4 to May 26. Each year features music, art, and cultural performances celebrating a different country — this year's honoree is the Czech Republic.  And of course, it wouldn't be a Memphis festival without food, so check out the world-famous barbecue contest that takes place each year.

Yellowstone National Park

There's arguably nowhere in the United States that boasts more natural beauty than Yellowstone National Park.  If you're a nature lover, prepare to spend several days marveling at erupting geysers, observing animals like moose, elk, and grizzly bears, and exploring the surrounding mountains and canyons.

Beat the crowds by visiting Yellowstone in May — the weather will be mild, and you won't have to fight through families on their summer vacations.

• A study by market-research firm GlobalData found that the number of people who choose to eat vegan in America has grown from 1% to 6% since 2014. 
• Though many restaurants and fast-casual spots have updated their menus to include more vegan options, fast food is lagging behind.
• I tried to survive on only the vegan options at popular fast-food chains, and I found it was nearly impossible to do at most of them.

Being vegan in New York City is hardly a challenge. Most restaurants now have vegan-friendly options on their menus, and affordable vegan restaurants are popping up all over the five boroughs. In the three years I've been vegan, I've found that most restaurants and grocery stores have a lot of options readily available — except for fast food. 

Taco Bell and White Castle seem to be the only fast-food chains actually working on meeting the growing demand for food that's free from animal products. According to a study by market-research firm GlobalData, the number of Americans who choose to follow a vegan diet has increased from 1% to 6% since 2014.

The population of vegans, vegetarians, and people who are simply trying to eat less meat is growing rapidly, and most fast-food chains are doing little to nothing to make a vegan lifestyle more accessible.

To see which fast-food chains are best prepared to keep up with the growing demand for vegan food, I tried to eat only vegan fast food for five days. My rules were simple: eat only at fast-food chains, and eat three meals a day.

Here's what happened: 

SEE ALSO: 13 popular fast-food menu items that are surprisingly perfect for vegans

I kicked off the week with Fruit & Maple Oatmeal from McDonald's, prepared without cream.

This is the only vegan-friendly breakfast option at McDonald's, and I made it about three bites into the oatmeal before tossing it out. McDonald's oatmeal has nearly twice as much sugar as a Hershey bar and more than 300 calories per serving. It was sickeningly sweet and packed with sugar — I couldn't stomach it that early in the morning. 

For lunch I wanted something lighter, so I headed to Wendy's for a salad. I ordered the Garden Side Salad with no croutons, no cheese, and no dressing. I also ordered a side of apple slices.

The salad was plain and disappointing, and it had to be made twice because the first time it still had cheese on top. Wendy's has tested a black bean burger, but unfortunately, it isn't available anywhere in the Northeast. 

I was ravenous by dinner, so I went out of my way to get Taco Bell — a supposed fast-food haven for vegans. I ordered a Seven Layer Burrito with no sour cream or cheese.

Taco Bell has the most vegan options on its menu out of all the popular fast-food chains. It definitely was the most filling thing I ate all day.

After day one, I realized that eating the right amount of nutrients would be nearly impossible unless I wanted to snack on french fries all day. It was an unhealthy start to the week, and I was still hungry at the end of the day. 

Day 1 Total: 

Calories: 687

Fat: 15.5g

Sodium: 1146mg

Sugar: 36g

Protein: 17g

This year's NBA Draft is considered deep and talented.

Several versatile, athletic big men have made bids as the top picks in the draft, while Trae Young exploded on the scene as perhaps the best point guard in the draft.

And across the Atlantic Ocean, playing for Real Madrid, is Luka Doncic, a point-forward who looks like an extra-special prospect.

With both the NBA regular season and college seasons both finished, here's a look at the top 30 prospects, judged using experts' mock drafts.

The experts: Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, Ricky O'Donnell of SB Nation, and Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

1. DeAndre Ayton, C

Age: 19

School: Arizona

One thing to know: From Vecenie: "Ayton seems like the safest bet with the fewest questions in this draft. Sure, his defensive instincts on the interior leave something to be desired, but he’s also 18 years old and possibly the biggest genetic freak to enter the NBA since LeBron James."

2. Luka Doncic, PG

Age: 19

School: none — Real Madrid, Slovenia

One thing to know: From O'Donnell: "Doncic has a case as the draft’s most skilled player, a 6’8, 230-pound point forward with preternatural court vision and passing skills paired with outside shooting ability. He isn’t an elite athlete, but there are very few holes in his skill set."

3. Jaren Jackson Jr., F/C

Age: 18

School: Michigan State

One thing to know: From Givony: "Jackson's ability to space the floor (40 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the line), block shots (5.7 per 40 minutes), switch on every screen and, increasingly, put the ball on the floor from the perimeter makes him an ideal fit for the modern NBA."

The United States, Britain, and France, conducted "precision strikes" on Syria on Friday, in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack that reportedly killed dozens in the rebel-held town of Douma.

The Pentagon said the strikes hit three targets believed to have been involved in creating chemical weapons.

The sites included the Barzah Research and Development Center near Damascus and the Him Shinshar chemical weapons complex near Homs.

The US military said the strikes "destroyed" Him Shinshar's chemical weapons storage facility, and damaged the chemical weapons bunker.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said "nothing is certain" when asked whether he believed the strikes would deter Syrian President Bashar Assad from using chemical weapons again.

"It was done on targets that we believed were selected to hurt the chemical weapons program. We confined it to the chemical weapons-type targets," he said.

Here are satellite photos showing what the sites looked like before and after the strikes:

SEE ALSO: Photos of US, UK, and French military strikes show just how close missiles got to Syria's capital city

DON'T MISS: Pentagon: US-led Syria strikes struck at 'heart' of chemical weapons program, but 'residual' capacity remains

BEFORE: The Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker on April 13, 2018.

AFTER: The Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker on April 14, 2018.

BEFORE: The Him Shimshar chemical weapons storage site on April 13, 2018.

• The McLaren 570S Spider walks a fine line between English sports car and a no-holds-barred exotic supercar.
• The 570S is powered by a 562 horsepower, 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8.
• It can do 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 204 mph.
• In the marketplace, the 570S Spider competes against the Audi R8 V10 Spyder and the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. 

The McLaren 570S Spider is a supercar. Sort of.

The 570S is a mainstay of McLaren's entry-level Sports Series, and the company openly calls the stylish mid-engined speed machine a sports car. 

But step on the gas, and the 570S will quickly convince you of its European supercar credentials complete with supercar power, speed, and charisma. 

Last fall, Business Insider spent a week with a brand-new McLaren 570S Spider in an eye-catching Sicilian Yellow paint job. 

The 570S Spider starts at $208,800, but our test car came packed with nearly $44,000 in options. That gave it an as-tested price of around $253,000. 

That's certainly a pretty penny. 

So is this McLaren a sports car or a supercar — and is it worth its hefty price? Let's find out:

SEE ALSO: These are the 24 coolest cars at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

Here it is. The new McLaren 570S Spider.

It's the convertible counterpart to the 570S Coupe we tested in 2016.

It's also the little brother to the 720S and...

• The first-quarter earnings season is shaping up to be one of the most hotly anticipated in recent memory as the market seeks a bright spot amid multiple headwinds.
• While some investors may be focused on bottom-line profits, Goldman Sachs is more interested in stocks generating high sales growth, and it has identified 13 S&P 500 companies that fit the bill.

The coming first-quarter earnings season is one of the most hyped in recent memory.

It's supposed to offer a pick-me-up for a market that has navigated one obstacle after the next — whether fears of a global trade war, regulatory scrutiny in tech, or President Donald Trump's recent Russia-centric tweetstorm.

Goldman Sachs has some thoughts on the matter, saying recently that traders should focus on top-line sales growth rather than on profit numbers. With tax cuts expected to give corporate profits a hyper-boost, it will be more difficult to identify which companies are excelling on a fundamental level, the firm argued.

So with a focus on sales, which companies stand apart? After all, Goldman forecasts that revenue for the entire S&P 500 grew 10% in the first quarter, its fastest pace since 2011.

Luckily, the firm has made things easy by updating its 50-company basket of stocks expected to grow sales the most in 2018. Goldman calculates that its index, spanning 10 of the benchmark's 11 major industries, will grow revenue by 16% this year, compared with 6% for the median S&P 500 company.

Without further ado, here are 13 stocks Goldman says will offer the best sales growth this year:

SEE ALSO: GOLDMAN SACHS: There's one huge mistake traders should avoid making this earnings season

14. Alphabet

Ticker: GOOGL

Industry: Information technology

Market cap: $621 billion

2018 expected sales growth: 21%

13. Red Hat

Ticker: RHT

Industry: Information technology

Market cap: $27 billion

2018 expected sales growth: 21%

11. Adobe Systems

Ticker: ADBE

Industry: Information technology

Market cap: $110 billion

2018 expected sales growth: 23%

When Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff started his company in 1999, it was little more than four guys and an idea in a one-bedroom San Francisco apartment. The server was stored in a bedroom closet, and one of his co-founders slept on a futon he stored under his desk. 

Now, 19-years-later, the company has transformed into a 29,000 person behemoth with more than $10 billion in annual revenue and a market cap of $87 billion.

And while Benioff remains the effusive and boisterous face of Salesforce, he didn't build the company alone. 

These are the 11 people who helped build Salesforce into what it is today —and the people charged with moving it toward an ambitious $22 billion revenue goal in the next four years and beyond.   

SEE ALSO: MuleSoft shareholders are suing to stop Salesforce's $6.86 billion acquisition

Parker Harris, Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer

Parker Harris co-founded Salesforce with Marc Benioff in 1999, and has since masterminded the product and engineering side of the company. 

Harris — described by his peers as kind and demure— is considered the voice of reason at Salesforce, and an important counterbalance to Benioff's impassioned business strategy.

 Like Steve Wozniak was to Steve Jobs at Apple, Harris is credited with executing on the untethered ambitions of a visionary CEO. 

"Marc is showing us a vision, the direction," Harris told Business Insider in 2015.  "And I'm right there with him figuring out how are we going to get there. We bounce ideas off of each other to try to make it the right path together."

Keith Block, President and Chief Operating Officer

As chief operating officer, Keith Block manages the day-to-day at Salesforce, from growing its global sales and marketing units to keeping the company's 29,000 employees moving in the same direction.  

Analysts attribute Block's 2013 hiring from Oracle with Salesforce's move from serving primarily small customers to winning business with large enterprises.

Under Block's watch, Salesforce has signed more large enterprise deals than ever and continues to expand into new industries, turning itself into one of the largest business software makers in the world.

Salesforce has been signing big deals at a record pace, and now has roughly 150,000 customers that are under contracts worth at least $13.3 billion.

Bret Taylor, President and Chief Product Officer

If Marc Benioff has a favorite in the organization, it's Bret Taylor, the former CEO of Quip.

Salesforce added Taylor to its team in 2016 with the $750 million acquisition of Quip, a cloud collaboration tool akin to Google Docs. Salesforce has since added Quip as a product offering, but what Benioff really wanted was Taylor himself.

"He's one of the absolute rising stars of our industry," Benioff told Business Insider in 2016. "It's been my dream to work more closely with Bret Taylor."

Taylor reports directly to Benioff, and has even attended monthly private dinners at Benioff's home. 

Two years later, Taylor is now president and chief product officer for Salesforce, where he runs the company's global product design, development and go-to-market strategy. 

One more thing to know: Before starting Quip, Taylor was chief technology officer at Facebook. He's credited with inventing the company's acclaimed "Like" button. And before that, he co-created Google Maps.

• Nurses are the life and soul of the healthcare profession, providing comfort, kindness, and care to patients every day
• It's a challenging job and one that requires hard work, dedication, and a very thick skin.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are over 2.8 million nurses working in America right now.
• Nancy Whitt, who's been a nurse for 45 years, and Liz Watkins, who's been a nurse for two years, shared with Business Insider what it's really like.

Being a nurse is not a profession for the faint-hearted.

Nurses deal with life, death, and everything in between.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses are responsible for assisting physicians in administering patient care, providing advice and educating patients on a variety of medical conditions, and giving advice to the patient as well as their family.

And while it might be a demanding job, it seems it's a rewarding one. A study by AMN Healthcare found 83% of nurses say they are satisfied with their choice of nursing as a career.

Business Insider spoke with two nurses, Nancy Whitt and Liz Watkins, to find out what it's really like to be a nurse.

Whitt is a gastrointestinal nurse in California with 45 years of experience. She works in Outpatient Services (sometimes called Day Stay) and Gastrointestinal (GI) Lab and is one of five gastrointestinal nurses in her hospital providing 24/7 coverage by being on call.

Watkins is a critical care nurse with two years experience working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Kentucky. Her patients are critically ill and in the process of recovering.

Here's what they said being a nurse really entails:

SEE ALSO: 9 words and phrases only nurses understand

DON'T MISS: 15 things nurses know that others don't

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's REALLY like to be a Delta Air Lines flight attendant, one of the most competitive jobs out there

The shifts are demanding, but schedules can vary

Most hospitals allow nurses to determine their shifts in advance. For Watkins, that's three 12-hour day shifts a week.

"I work from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., although my shifts rarely end at the time they're supposed to. I usually leave at about 7:45 p.m. Sometimes it can be as late as 10 p.m., depending on what's been going on and how the patients are doing," Watkins told Business Insider.

In addition to her set shifts, Watkins is also required to work two support shifts in every eight-week period.

Whitt, who has been working for 45 years and no longer depends on the income from a full-time position, works per diem, and clocks in for six shifts a month.

Average days don't exist when you're dealing with patients

There's no such thing as a routine day in a hospital. Nurses have a wide range of responsibilities and tasks that they're continuously prioritizing.

In Outpatient Services, where Whitt works, her days are dictated by the kind of patients that come through the facility and the procedures they're there for.

"Most of the patients we see are with us for a few hours. They're getting IV infusions, blood transfusions, minor procedures, and surgeries. It varies a lot each day," she told Business Insider.

Over in the ICU, patients are battling with life-threatening issues, and each day brings a new set of challenges.

"I wouldn't say there's a typical day as we see all kinds of patients," Watkins said. "They're with us for different reasons each time, and the vulnerable state they're in means they can deteriorate quickly, which keeps us on our toes.

But while the patients and situations may change, the ICU has a daily care routine that must be adhered to at all times. "We monitor each patient closely and observe a strict care schedule across the ward," Watkins said.

Each day begins with a full handover from the night team followed by a meet-and-greet with any new patients. At 8 a.m., Watkins carries out full-body assessments on her patients and makes a note on their medical chart of everything she sees. Throughout the day patients are assessed from top to toe every four hours, and rounds are completed hourly.

As a critical care nurse, Watkins also responds to any codes that occur around the hospital. "Code calls definitely add an extra bit of excitement and adrenaline to the day," she said.

There are different routes available to becoming a nurse — but they all start with a degree

Obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree provides the best opportunities for prospective nurses in today's job market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Once you've got your BSN, you'll need to obtain a license to become a registered nurse, with requirements varying by state.

For Watkins, the route to becoming a registered nurse was different than most. "I was pre-med in college but switched to psychology," she told Business Insider.

After graduating and working in marketing for a year, Watkins realized her passion lay in health and patient care, and she took a job as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) — something she recommends to anyone who's considering a career in nursing.

"It's a great introduction into the industry," Watkins said. "Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse, and as CNA you're basically shadowing a nurse, helping out, and getting used to life in a hospital," she said.

Once she was certain she wanted to become a nurse, Watkins went back to school to completed a one-year accelerated nursing program. "Spending time as a CNA allowed me to test the water and make sure I was certain this is what I wanted to do before committing to go back to school," she said.

For over 150 years, the city of Montgomery, Alabama has been known as the "Cradle of the Confederacy." In 1861, the city played a central role in the formation of the Confederate States of America, made up of 11 US states that sought to secede and maintain slavery.

But now, in 2018, Montgomery wants to reflect on the horrifying history of American slavery and racism. On April 26, the city will open the nation's first memorial and museum devoted to the history of lynchings in the US.

The project, spearheaded by a local nonprofit called the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), will pay tribute to lynching victims as well as chronicle the dark parts of the African-American experience — from slavery to today's national epidemic of mass incarceration.

Take a look at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and Legacy Museum below.

SEE ALSO: One map shows how much more money men make than women in every US state

The national memorial and museum will explore the history of lynchings, slavery, and racism in the US since the country's founding.

The six-acre site overlooks Montgomery.

The museum and memorial seek to create a dialogue around America's long history of racial injustice, EJI's founder, Bryan Stevenson, told Business Insider.

In the early 1860s, the US was at a turning point in its history. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln — a staunch opponent to slavery — 11 states led by the Confederacy announced they would secede.

Serving as the Confederate capital, Montgomery invited delegates from the Deep-South states to draft a constitution for a new nation in 1861. The Confederacy lost this fight, but Montgomery gained a nickname: the "Cradle of the Confederacy."

The iPhone X is an incredible smartphone.

I upgraded to the iPhone X last year via the iPhone Upgrade Program, and it's one of my favorite iPhone designs ever. It's got a gorgeous OLED screen, it's fast, and I like the potential for Face ID (although I agree with my colleague Tony — it needs some work).

Still, I upgraded to the iPhone X from an iPhone 7 Plus, and I have very fond memories of that older phone. In many ways, the iPhone 7 and the larger iPhone 7 Plus are both an incredible value, if you're deciding between iPhones.

Here are 9 reasons you should consider buying an iPhone 7 instead of the iPhone X right now:

1. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are more affordable than the iPhone X.

This is probably the biggest factor for most people.

The iPhone 7 costs $550 for 32GB of storage, or $650 for 128GB.

The iPhone 7 Plus costs $670 for 32GB of storage, or $770 for 128GB.

The iPhone X costs $1,000 for 64GB of storage, or $1,150 for 256GB.

Keep in mind: If you buy an iPhone X, you should also buy AppleCare+ ($200), since out-of-warranty repair costs can be incredibly costly.

With AppleCare+, iPhone X screen repairs costs $30, and other repairs cost $100.

Without AppleCare+, iPhone X screen repairs costs $280, and other repairs cost a whopping $550.

To be all the way clear: If you don't buy AppleCare with your iPhone X, and its glass back breaks or shatters, you are paying $550 — the cost of an iPhone 7.

Even better, buying an iPhone 7 through Apple's Refurbished store starts at just $500— half the price of an iPhone X.

Apple's Refurbished store is one of the company's best-kept open secrets: These products were once used, yes, but they've been completely refurbished by Apple and guaranteed to work.

Like all refurbished Apple products, a refurbished iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus would come in a clean white box, with a brand-new battery, as well as a new shell and new accessories. You also get the same one-year warranty you get from buying a brand-new Apple device.

2. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus come in more colors than the iPhone X.

You can get the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in five different colors: silver, gold, rose gold, and both matte and jet black. (Matte black is my personal favorite.)

The iPhone X comes in just two colors: silver, and space gray. (Basically, white and black.)

• These days, airlines are becoming safer, more efficient, and more profitable with savvier management teams.
• However, the problems that plague the airline industry have not gone away.
• The global nature of the industry makes it uniquely vulnerable to a multitude of elements ranging from insufficient infrastructure to disease epidemics to politics.

The state of the airline industry is strong. Around the world, the number of people flying increased by 6.6% in 2017.

In fact, the world's 20 busiest airports, alone, saw roughly 1.5 billion passengers pass through its terminals last year, trade group Airports Council International reported.

Consolidation, coupled with relatively affordable fuel prices and increasingly savvy management teams has resulted in record profits for the industry.

However, the airline business is not without its problems. Any cursory look at today's new will turn up any number of stories about dissatisfied customers or some facet of the industry under threat.

Even as profitability remains solid, the problems that plague airlines have not gone away. In fact, they have actually become more complex.

A former airline CEO once jokingly responded to my question about areas of concern in the future with "What aren't we concerned about?"

It's a fair response. The airline industry for all of its power and prestige is unique in the sheer number of factors that could negatively affect its business. 

Over the past couple of years, airlines have experienced major disruptions caused by everything from electrical fires to catastrophic disease outbreaks. 

Then there are also the challenges caused by the world's ever-shifting economic and political climates.  And let's not forget about the issues created by changes in our actual climate. 

The vulnerability of airlines to this multitude of factors has to do with the global nature of the business. The very things that make airlines so interesting and alluring are also the same things that threaten its well-being. 

Here's a closer look a handful of the challenges that plague the airline industry: 

SEE ALSO: These are the 20 busiest airports in the world

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

Congestion

Not only are the skies over the US congested with air traffic, the airports from which the planes operate are also bursting at the seams.

The increase in the number flyers along with the airlines' strategic shift towards increasing the frequency of flights, means more planes and more passengers. 

This results in crowded airport terminals and an increase in the number of delays. 

"At no time is the peril of this strategy more exposed than when the weather goes bad," author and commercial airline pilot Patrick Smithwrote in a blog post. "In years past, snow or thunderstorms meant moderate delays and perhaps a cancellation or two. These days, a half inch of powder or a line of cumulonimbus brings the entire system to its knees."

Terrorism

Even though the frequency of terrorist acts targeted at airliners has gone down, incidents like the shoe bombers and the tragic events of 9/11 serve as a reminder they remain a substantial and persistent threat.

As a result, airlines and security services around the world have to remain vigilant. Over the past 15 years, security screening procedures have become increasingly stringent. This has resulted in longer checkpoint wait times and complaints from the traveling public. 

Passenger comfort.

In many respects, the industry's search for greater profitability has been to the detriment of passenger comfort. 

For investors, the lower the unit costs the better. For airlines, an effective way to reach that target is to stuff more seats into each plane. In addition, airlines have become much more disciplined when it comes to flooding the market with additional flights. The capacity discipline along with a greater number of seats per plane has resulted in full planes with less room for individual passengers. 

• Instagram rolled out a new portrait mode feature in the app three days ago.
• It pales in comparison to portrait modes in the iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2, but it's not a bad alternative for people who don't have those phones.

I've been pining over the iPhone X and its portrait mode: Apple's giant billboard ads for the feature are hard to miss.

By blurring the background of photos, portrait mode can add a professional looking sheen to your pictures that takes them to the next level. The ability to take those kinds of photos using my phone — an item I carry with me 24/7 — instead of my bulky DSLR, is very appealing. So Instagram's new "Focus" feature that rolled out earlier this week, and which allows users to easily take portraits with blurred out backgrounds, immediately piqued my interest.

It's not perfect, but it's a nice way to punch up your photos. 

Here's how to use it: 

SEE ALSO: 6 potential iPhone X upgrades to look forward to in 2018

To find the feature, click the camera in the top left corner of the app as soon as you open it.

That'll take you to this screen. The "Focus" feature is right in between the Boomerang and Superzoom buttons under the record button. It's available for all iPhones made after the 6s, as well as the iPhone SE, and select Android smartphones.

Here's what the Focus feature does.

The left is a shot in Instagram's Normal mode for photos, the right is the Focus mode. The Focus feature is much more noticeable when there's a lot of activity in the background of your shots.

Instagram's attempt to emulate the "bokeh" effect — the blurred background achieved by focusing on a subject in the foreground — is not as good as it would be on specialized camera phone that has portrait mode.

As you can see, Instagram's portrait mode produces a wonky kind of haziness in the background. It's reminiscent of other portrait mode apps I've tried, which use shortcuts to add bokeh to photos. One of the biggest problems is how much the haze in the background seeps into the subject of the photo.

• Famous quotes from people like Julius Caesar and Marie Antoinette can be misattributed.

• It's all too easy for famous quotes to spread on the internet without the right person behind them.

• Even Julius Caesar's iconic "Et tu, Brute?" might be incorrect.

Quotes from famous people get thrown around on the internet all the time. But some of the most well-known sayings are actually incorrect.

Many of these prominent quotes are misattributed. Others are made up entirely.

Business Insider previously reported on how hard it is to verify famous last words. But the problem extends to all famous phrases.

The key is not trusting everything you read on the web — especially when it comes to historical quotes.

With that in mind, here are some well-known quotes that famous people never actually said:

SEE ALSO: 9 Vladimir Putin quotes that offer terrifying insights into his mind

DON'T MISS: 13 of the most famous last words in history

DON'T FORGET: 8 'famous last words' that were probably made up

'Et tu, Brute?' — Julius Caesar, Roman dictator and general

"Et tu, Brute?" is likely one of the most widely remembered and quoted Latin phrases out there, thanks to William Shakespeare's dramatic retelling of the Roman strongman's life.

The words conjure up a stirring image — a powerful politician realizing he's betrayed — and stabbed — by a beloved adopted son.

However, Roman biographer Suetonius claimed the man's last words might have been even sadder. He reports Caesar possibly said, "You too, my child?" in Greek, before succumbing to his injuries, according to Livius.org.

Suetonius himself, however, believed it was more likely Caesar had died without saying a word.

'The end justifies the means' — Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian diplomat

Machiavelli certainly plays with this idea in "The Prince," his most famous work.

But, much like the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty!" is never actually uttered in an episode of Star Trek, the political treatise doesn't actually contain this particular saying.

'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' — Voltaire, French writer and philosopher

The Quote Investigator blog reported that this famous phrase actually comes to us from Voltaire's biographer, early 20th century historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall.

Hall reportedly was trying to sum up what she described as a "Voltairean principle."

Though North Korea is widely seen as a regime notorious for its human-rights violations and bellicose rhetoric, like other countries, it observes several national and traditional holidays.

North Korea's official holidays range from the birthday of its leaders, to its Thanksgiving Day based on the lunar calendar. Despite placing greater importance on national holidays, traditional holidays in North Korea are still observed and are comprised of cultural activities that are also recognized by South Korea.

North Korea's major holidays are considered a day of rest, however; for traditional holidays, North Koreans are believed to make up the missed work on a Sunday before or after the holiday, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.

Here's a look at some of North Korea's major holidays that are observed as a day of rest:

SEE ALSO: Kim Jong Un may not have an airplane capable of taking him to meet Trump — and it could get 'embarrassing'

DON'T MISS: The mysterious life of Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol Ju — who probably has 3 children, frequently disappears from the public eye, and just got back from China

February 16: Lunar New Year's Day

Arguably more significant than New Year's Day on January 1, the first day of the Korean lunar calendar, or "Seollal," is celebrated by both North and South Korea.

Though the holiday was briefly passed over under Kim Il Sung's rule, the practice was revived in 1989. The country places greater importance for national holidays, but it allows its citizens to take part in certain customs, such as visiting ancestor's graves.

Source: Unification Ministry of South Korea

February 16: Kim Jong Il's birthday, "Day of the shining star"

Kim Jong Il, the son of North Korea's first leader, is believed to have been born on February 16, 1941.

He implemented the "Songun," or military-first, policy for North Korea and implemented changes that prioritized military spending over other other domestic necessities.

He died in December 17, 2011.

Source: CBS News, CNN

April 15: Kim Il Sung's birthday, "Day of the sun"

Kim Il Sung, the first leader of North Korea, is believed to have been born on April 15, 1912.

Fluent in Russian and rising through the Soviet Union military ranks, he was eventually nominated to lead North Korea. Kim Il Sung implemented a "juche" ideology that focused on self-reliance at the exclusion of any foreign influence.

He died on July 8, 1994.

Source: BBC, New York Times

• Believe it or not, there's a way to save money in every area of your life — from prescriptions and groceries, to car payments and loans.
• These hacks will help you save more money on everyday expenses so you'll see more in your savings by the end of the month.
• Buckle down on commodities you don't use often and plan your spending to know exactly where your money is going. 

Though Americans are doing a better job of saving today than in years prior, many of us still have work to do. In fact, only 39% of U.S. adults have the funds on hand to cover a $1,000 emergency. If you need a savings boost, then it’s time to rethink your approach to how you manage and spend your money. Here are a few budget hacks that’ll help you seamlessly bank more cash.

SEE ALSO: Meal prepping saves me hundreds of dollars throughout the year — here’s what you need to get started

1. Set up an automatic savings plan

It’s hard to spend money you don’t get access to. If you set up an automatic savings plan, a portion of each paycheck you receive will go directly into your savings account, thus eliminating the temptation to blow that cash needlessly. Set up that plan upon getting a raise, and you won’t even come to miss that money in the first place. 

2. Use the envelope system

Many of us who maintain a budget do so electronically, such as on a spreadsheet. But a good way to keep your spending in check is to utilize the envelope system, where you designate individual envelopes for your various expenses and fill them with cash at the start of each month. Once you see your cash supply dwindle in a given category, you’ll know to go easy on spending to avoid running out of money completely. Want to take things a step further? Don’t let yourself transfer money between envelopes so that you learn to better manage your expenses on an individual level. 

3. Barter for services rather than pay for them

We all have services we’re used to paying for, whether it’s having our homes cleaned or our pets groomed. But if you’re willing to give up a bit of your time, you can save money on certain expenses by bartering for them instead. For example, if you’re a graphics design wiz and your friend has a hair-styling business, update her website in exchange for a free cut. You’ll both save money, making it a win-win. 

E-sports — which is to say, competitive, professional online video gaming — have exploded in popularity in recent years.

In fact, experts have predicted that e-sports viewership is likely to surpass that of traditional sports leagues, including the NBA and MLB, by 2020. Indeed, esports revenue is likely to climb to more than $900 million this year as television channels like ESPN continue to incorporate e-sports into their daily lineups, and streaming services like Amazon's Twitch become more mainstream.

In a world where competitive video games have the potential to be as lucrative an industry as professional sports, the title "pro gamer" has evolved massively since the '90s, where a relatively small group of die-hard gamers played in relatively unnoticed tournaments for community notoriety and occasional prize money. 

In the modern world of e-sports, pro gamers are salaried employees with medical benefits and 401-ks, and who have personal nutritionists and fitness trainers. They are celebrities and role models for the fans who purchase jerseys and other merchandise in their honor. They also happen to play the same video game for 8 to 10 hours a day.

Business Insider got to interview professional gamers who play in the Overwatch League, competing at the highest levels of Blizzard's acclaimed and best-selling competitive first-person shooter "Overwatch."

We got an inside look at the ups and downs of their everyday lives and, the journeys that they've taken to get to the highest level for their game of choice.

SEE ALSO: This 26-year-old makes $500,000 every month playing 'Fortnite' in his bedroom — here's how he does it

During an average week, teammates spend the majority of the day practicing "Overwatch" for hours at a time.

"Practices are really hard and really demanding," said Daniel "dhaK" Martinez, a professional player on the San Francisco Shock, one of the twelve permanent teams in the Overwatch League. 

Martinez said that on a typical practice day, he and his teammates play two hours at a time, for two or three times a day. These practice hours include running drills and skirmishes. The practice time give the players time to perfect or experiment with different in-game characters, called "heroes."

While the notion of getting paid to play video games all day may seem like a fantasy for many gamers, the reality of the training sessions can be both physically and mentally taxing, explained Jacob "Jake" Lyon, who plays on the league's Houston Outlaws.

For example, Lyon said he struggles with severe wrist pains thanks to the long hours spent working a keyboard and mouse in practice, and has to wear "geriatric gloves" while sleeping and regularly do special stretches to reduce strain.

"That's definitely not something I thought I'd have to worry about at 21," he laughed.

Match days come with the extra stresses of competing for a live audience of millions, doing press and meeting with fans, says Martinez.

"It's definitely surreal—knowing you're playing for tens of thousands of people, all watching from home," said Lyon, who plays for the Houston Outlaws. 

Any level of public notoriety comes with the responsibility of learning to be a role model for young fans — especially since "Overwatch" is smash hit with younger and older fans alike.

“It definitely requires a lot of personal responsibility," said Martinez, of the San Francisco Shock. “There are a lot of young kids watching, so you have to be extra careful — especially when you’re streaming."

Martinez is referring to the practice of streaming "Overwatch" matches on platforms like Amazon's Twitch — something that is not required by the Overwatch League, but which several players do on their own time to promote their personal brand and blow off steam.

Martinez says despite the pressures of fame, he's welcomed the opportunity to have an impact on young gamers and fans.

"It’s also really nice, knowing you can affect other people’s lives...knowing that someone looks up to you," he said.

• President Donald Trump and former president Barack Obama have very different diet and exercise routines.
• Trump frequently eats fast food and his primary form of exercise is playing golf.
• In contrast, Obama was generally known to eat healthy and woke up before 5 a.m. to work out.
• Below are some of the photos of the two leaders that have raised questions about their contrasting diet and exercise styles.

Critics of President Donald Trump often compare him to his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Although those discussions usually involve politics, Trump gets plenty of criticism about his diet and exercise habits, too. According to reports from the past few years, Trump frequently eats fast food, and the only exercise he gets is on the golf course.

Obama ate fast food from time to time, but by most accounts, his diet and exercise regimens were different from Trump's. While we can't truly know what goes on behind closed doors, people have pointed to various photos of the two commanders in chief to draw conclusions about their diet and exercise habits.

Take a look at the photos below and see how Trump's diet and exercise stack up against Obama's.

SEE ALSO: I ate Trump's absurd, 2,430-calorie McDonald's order — and it was even worse than I imagined

DON'T MISS: 12 photos that make Trump's work ethic look nothing like Obama's

Trump's affinity for fast food is well-documented — he frequently stopped at fast food restaurants on the campaign trail.

During the campaign, Trump often ate fast food from restaurants like Domino's, KFC, and McDonald's aboard his private jet.

Source: Axios

Two of his campaign aides described Trump's typical McDonald's order: two Big Macs, two Filet-o-Fish sandwiches, and a large chocolate shake.

Source: Business Insider

• Mattress Firm is the largest specialty mattress retailer in the United States, with around 3,400 stores. 
• It has increasingly come under pressure as new startups such as Casper innovate the experience of mattress shopping and take market share. 
• The company plans to close 175 stores in 2018, and analysts say it's likely more will follow. 

Mattress Firm has commanded the American mattress market for years, but it has increasingly come under pressure as new startups like Casper find ways to improve the experience of shopping for this high-ticket item.

With 3,400 locations in total, the company is frequently criticized for being overstored in the United States. Parent company Steinhoff Holdings, which is currently being investigated after it reported "accounting irregularities" in its year-end results, said that Mattress Firm would be closing 175 stores in 2018.

"Management is focused on optimizing its store estate in an effort to right-size the overall estate and reduce the number of underperforming stores," the company wrote in its unaudited quarterly update in March.

But analysts say it's likely more closures will follow.

"Considering the accounting irregularities at Steinhoff and the operational troubles at subsidiary Mattress Firm, we believe there is a high probability that Mattress Firm will close significantly more than 200 stores announced in December," analysts at Wedbush wrote in a note to investors in February.

It continued: "Our base case is now 600 store closures in 2018, with potential for as many as 1,000 closures out of the 3,400 store base."

We tested the experience of shopping it its stores. Here's what it was like:

SEE ALSO: These photos of empty stores show why Mattress Firm could be on the verge of closing hundreds of locations

We visited a Mattress Firm store in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood. From the outside of the store, the focus seemed to be on luring shoppers in with deals and financing options.

While our visit to the store was in the mid-morning on a Wednesday — definitely not prime mattress-shopping time — the store was noticeably empty.

In January, a Reddit thread that accused the store of being a front for money laundering went viral. Reddit users claimed that Mattress Firm's stores are often empty, which they claimed could be a sign of something more dubious. Mattress Firm has denied these allegations.

We also visited two other Mattress Firm stores in New York and found that each one was completely empty during the day. It was almost impossible to go unnoticed, and we were instantly approached by a pushy salesperson who asked lots of questions and was reluctant to leave us to browse.

While some shoppers might find this helpful, their persistence was a little off-putting. 

The US Navy is the most powerful group of ships, carriers, and sailors on Earth.

The Navy is older than the US — founded in 1775 as the Continental Navy — and is currently made up of 430 ships and submarines. It's been involved in more than 10 major wars, and combat has taken the Navy all over the world.

The surface fleet is made up of 16 different classes of vessels, and includes amphibious assault ships, aircraft carriers, command ships, mine sweepers, destroyers, littoral combat ships, and more.

We put together a list of all the types of surface ships in service with the US Navy:

SEE ALSO: These are the 20 aircraft carriers in service today

Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

The Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is the newest carrier in the US fleet, and the intended replacement for the Nimitz-class.

The ship is 1,106 ft long and can carry more than 75 aircraft. The Ford-class carriers are intended to have a large compliment of F-35Cs, but delays in their development have put their deployment on hold.

The ship has a number of new technologies, like the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, which is intended to replace the current steam-powered launch system on current aircraft carriers. As the Navy's newest carrier, new weapons may be added to the ship in the coming years, including lasers.

One carrier is in active service, with another two under construction and two on order.

Zumwalt-class destroyer

The Zumwalt-class destroyer is the newest class of ship in service with the US Navy, and is intended to serve as a multi-mission stealth ship.

The focus of the Zumwalt is supposed to be surface warfare and naval gunfire support. However, the rounds required for its Advanced Gun System were judged too expensive (ranging from $800,000 to $1 million for a single round), making them inoperable. 

The Navy announced in March that it was planning on arming the Zumwalt with a suite of new missiles that can be used for anti-air, anti-surface, and ballistic-missile defense. 

America-class amphibious assault ship

The America-class amphibious assault ship was built to replace the aging Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship. Unlike other ships in its role, the first two America-class vessels have no well deck. 

The ship can carry a number of different aircraft, like the F-35B, AV-8B Harrier II, V-22 Osprey, and the AH-1Z Viper.

Eleven America-class ships are planned, with one in service, one awaiting sea trials, and another under construction.