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This cheap European clothing chain is coming for H&M and Forever 21 in America. Here's what it's like to shop there.

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Primark

  • Primark, a low-cost European apparel chain, is rolling out more stores in the United States. It opened its ninth US store this week, in Brooklyn, New York.
  • The store was described by one Bloomberg writer as a new version of H&M, only with Kmart prices.
  • We visited the new store to find out what it is like to shop there. 

Primark is making a slow and steady expansion into the United States. 

The low-cost, European-headquartered clothing chain just opened its ninth store in the US on July 7. Located in the Kings Plaza mall in Brooklyn, it's the second of the retailer's locations in New York.

Its expansion is timed well to take advantage of an explosion in value-oriented stores in the US. While department stores have suffered, off-price and dollar stores have experienced somewhat of a boom in recent times, enabling them to grow and add new locations across the country. 

Experts say that the success of value stores can be attributed to larger social changes.

"The middle is disappearing — low and middle-income customers increasingly shop at discounters and dollar stores, forcing retailers that once served these customers, like Bon-Ton and its subsidiary brands, to close shop," analysts from intelligence firm Gartner L2 wrote in a recent report on department stores.

As the middle class has shrunk, the most successful businesses in retail have become more distinctly split into two sections: luxury and budget stores. According to a recent report released by Deloitte, consumers' shifting attitudes towards finances and social issues are at the core of the recent upheaval in retail.

Retail is changing in line with consumer income divides, the report said, meaning that high-end and budget retailers are seeing revenues soar, growing 81% and 37%, respectively, in the last five years, according to Deloitte. Meanwhile, the middle is being squeezed out and has only seen a 2% sales increase in the past five years.

We visited Primark's brand-new store in Brooklyn to see how it will fit into the US retail landscape:

SEE ALSO: 50 haunting photos of abandoned shopping malls across America

The new store is located at Kings Plaza mall in Brooklyn. This is the ninth Primark store to open in the US and the second in the state of New York.



From our experience, its older, European sister stores are usually more chaotic than this new location.



We were instantly impressed. The store is easy to navigate, and while there is a ton of clothing, it doesn't feel too squashed in.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 34 most dangerous jobs in America

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logger cutting tree

  • Some of the most dangerous jobs have a much higher risk of fatal or non-fatal injuries than others.
  • Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we found the 34 jobs that had the highest rates of fatal injuries in 2016.

Some jobs have a much higher risk of fatal or non-fatal injuries than others.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics documented how many people died on the job in 2016 for the equivalent of every 100,000 people who held that job.

To find the most dangerous jobs in America, we identified the jobs from the Bureau's list with the highest fatal injury rate. Each of these jobs has a fatal injury rate above the national average for all workers of 3.6 per 100,000 full-time workers.

Overall, the greatest number of fatal work injuries resulted from transportation incidents, followed by violence or other injuries by persons or animals; falls, slips, and trips; and contact with objects and equipment.

Here are the 34 most dangerous jobs in America, along with their 2016 fatal and non-fatal injury rates per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, and a description of what workers in these jobs do from the Department of Labor's O*NET careers database.

SEE ALSO: The 47 jobs that are most damaging to your health

DON'T MISS: Here's how much the typical millennial, Gen X, and baby-boomer worker earns in every US state

34. Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

What they do: Lay out, install, or maintain pipes, plumbing, and sewer systems.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers):  4.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers):  1,629



33. Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers

What they do: Manually move freight, stock, or other materials or perform other general labor.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 5.2

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 3,068



31 (tie). Firefighters

What they do: Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 6.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 927



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There are plenty of non-technical jobs at the biggest tech companies — here are the 10 highest-paying non-technical jobs, according to Glassdoor

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IBM

You might be surprised to learn that almost half of the jobs at tech companies aren't tech-related at all.

According to a Glassdoor report, 43% of the jobs currently being hired in tech companies are non-tech roles. However, the composition of tech vs. non-tech roles varies by company, as shown in the graph depicting the percentage of tech openings below. 

Tech and non-tech roles

Here's a list of the average salaries of the 10 highest-paying non-technical jobs in the world of tech, according to Glassdoor data:

10. Commodity manager: $116,800

A commodity manager generally maintains relationships with suppliers, oversees the supply chain, and deals with supply contracts. 



9. Finance manager: $117,200

A finance manager  controls the financial operations within a company, usually including payroll, transactions, and other purchases. In general, they're responsible for portions of the company's accounting. 



8. Management consultant: $118,500

A management consultant will work with both clients and project management teams, and will help oversee internal projects. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How to make thousands of dollars selling your clothes, according to the top users of a popular app

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Poshmark

  • Poshmark is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell clothing from boutiques or their own closets.
  • Since it launched in 2011, it has grown into a community of four million sellers.
  • In May, the company announced that it had paid out $1 billion to its community of sellers so far. One of these sellers, Suzanne Canon, personally pulled in $1 million of sales on the app.

Men and women across the United States are joining the Poshmark craze and selling their clothing online. Some are even turning it into a full-time job and launching their own boutiques.

This online-only marketplace functions in a similar way to eBay in that it allows people to buy and sell clothing and accessories with ease. 

Since launching in 2011, it's transformed into a community of four million sellers, who so far have been paid out $1 billion, according to Poshmark. The company was founded by Manish Chandra, who is currently its CEO. His idea for Poshmark came about as iPhones started to explode in popularity and Chandra realized just how easy he could make the process of selling clothing online.

"It marries technology, fashion, and commerce together," Chandra told Business Insider.

Earlier this year, Business Insider interviewed top seller Suzanne Canon, who has personally pulled in $1 million in sales since she started selling in 2012. Selling on Poshmark is now her full-time job.

"I don't understand how it happened. I went on the app to make a little money on extra clothes," she told Business Insider.

Sellers only need to upload photos of their items from their phone to the app in order to list them for sale. Poshmark takes a $2.95 commission on all sales under $15. It takes a 20% commission on any sales above $15.

We spoke to five of the app's top sellers, who have pulled in amounts ranging from $10,000 to more than $100,000 since beginning to sell on Poshmark over the past few years. 

See their top tips for turning a sale on Poshmark, below:

SEE ALSO: Meet the entrepreneur who has made $1 million by selling clothes with a popular app

Take good photos.

"Take great pictures. If your cover shot doesn't look dynamite, no one is going to give your item a second glance," seller Kate Hill told Business Insider.

Hill joined Poshmark two years ago and has made almost $105,000 in sales on the app to date.



Channel a particular style.

"For a beginner on the app, start off with building your brand: color scheme, consistent photography, and a catchy brand name. You want to make your closet a memorable experience," Cynthia Mendoza told Business Insider.

Mendoza is a full-time teacher and part-time seller who has made almost $35,000 in sales on the app. 



Research what is selling well and listen to customer feedback.

Top sellers say it's wise to take current trends into account and see what is selling well by checking the top-selling categories and the number of likes on different items.

"Pay attention to what buyers want," Kristin Bachman said. "You have all that information at your fingertips."

Bachmann initially started out selling her own clothing from her closet, but she now has her own boutique on the app. If customers respond well to a particular style of clothing or fabric, she stocks more of it.

"See what products have hundreds of likes," she said. "You can see what buyers are gravitating towards."

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 ways to enjoy alcohol on Weight Watchers

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People drinking beer.

  • While it isn’t recommended to drink alcohol every day while on Weight Watchers, the occasional alcoholic drink is allowed in moderation.
  • Light beer and wine are great choices, because they’re widely available and low in SmartPoints.
  • Get creative and mix your own cocktails with liquor and diet-friendly ingredients.
  • Flavored liquors and small splashes of juices or sodas can elevate your drink without adding a ton of SmartPoints.

If you're trying to lose weight, a general rule of thumb is to avoid alcohol. Alcoholic drinks are typically high in calories and sugar and can dehydrate you. Not to mention being tipsy makes it often makes it harder to avoid late night snacks.

But if you're on Weight Watchers, everything is allowed in moderation — even cocktails. If you're looking to relax after a long week without halting your weight loss progress, its best to choose a drink that is low in SmartPoints.

Check out our picks for the best low-point alcoholic beverages below that we found on the Weight Watchers app. Keep in mind that many of the point values will depend on how you make your drinks.

Wine is easy to track and low in SmartPoints.

At only four SmartPoints per serving, red or white wine is an easy choice at restaurants and bars. Not only is it widely available and quick to track in your Weight Watchers app, but you also know exactly what's in the glass. With mixed drinks, there's always the potential that the bartender didn't make the drink to your specifications. If they forget to use diet soda or use a heavy pour on the liquor, you could end up drinking added SmartPoints without even knowing it. With wine, what you see is what you get — no hidden added sugars or added alcohol to worry about.

If drinking at home, be careful to monitor your pour. Weight Watchers makes Portion Control Wine Glasses that have subtle etchings on them, making pouring the proper serving size easy.

 



Light beer is also an uncomplicated choice.

Whether at a barbecue, a bar, or a friend's house on a Saturday night, light beer is something you can find at almost any situation. If you like beer, it's a great fallback option if lighter cocktails are unavailable.

A 12 oz serving of light beer will run you around three SmartPoints, depending on the brand. Popular varieties such as Corona Light, Miller Light, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, and Sam Adams Light are all three SmartPoints, but Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, and Dos Equis will cost you four SmartPoints.



Create your own low-point margarita.

Did you know a traditional 6 oz margarita will cost you 17 SmartPoints? For some, that splurge may be worth it, but if you don't want to break your SmartPoints bank, get creative.

To create a three SmartPoint "margarita," pour 1.5 oz of tequila over ice, add fresh lime juice, and top with Sprite Zero. You can also use lemon-lime flavored sparkling water for a less sweet version.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I've traveled to 25 countries, and here's my checklist for exactly what to do weeks, days, and hours before an international trip

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tourist traveler sightseeing italy

  • Summer travel may be relaxing, but the two weeks before an international trip can often be a stressful ordeal.
  • We've laid out the most important things to do in the weeks, days, and hours before your big trip.
  • They include confirming your reservations, buying an international adapter, and setting up an out-of-office email.


You've booked your flight, acquired your visa, and made your reservations.

Congrats! Your international vacation is right around the corner.

Your hard work is likely just beginning, however. The two weeks before a big trip can often be a stressful ordeal, between packing, researching your destination, and scrambling for last-minute items.

I've traveled to more than two dozen countries and know just how agonizing those final two weeks before a trip can be. That's why I've developed a checklist that reminds me of all the little things I need to accomplish, like confirming my reservations ahead of time, setting up an out-of-office email, and alerting my bank of my travels.

Here's what you need to do to prepare for your big vacation abroad, from two weeks out to the final hour.

SEE ALSO: 16 foods around the world Americans are missing out on, from bunny chow to stroopwafels

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

Two weeks before your trip

Focus on confirming your bookings and taking inventory of your supplies.



Confirm your reservations

Two weeks before I leave for an international vacation, I like to confirm my reservations for my flights, hotels, transportation, and any activities I have planned at my destination. It will give you peace of mind to know the logistics of your trip are set and all you need to do is get there.

 

 



Decide what you'll do with your phone

It's likely that wherever you travel abroad, you won't be able to use your US phone without running up a hefty tab. If you're fine with going your entire vacation without making a phone call or using data, go ahead and set your phone to airplane mode and forget about it. But if you anticipate needing to be in touch with people, consider buying a local SIM card for your phone, or purchasing a cheap prepaid phone once you get there.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This $610 million real estate company doesn't have an office for its 13,000 agents and staff — instead, everybody works from this completely virtual island (EXPI)

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eXp speedboat (end)

If you've ever wondered what the next phase of working remotely could be like, look no further than eXp Realty. 

In most respects, eXp is your typical real estate brokerage company. It employs thousands of licensed agents to help clients buy and sell their homes. And business seems to be good: eXp's stock price has almost quadrupled since this time last year, giving it a market cap of over $610 million.

What sets it apart is that, rather than having agents stop by a physical office for meetings, presentations, or technical assistance, the company's 13,000 agents and 200 staff employees go to work on a virtual island. A small office in Bellingham, WA serves as its headquarters because of "a legal requirement," the company says, but the real work gets done in the digital realm.

The company says that maintaining a virtual office, which gets about 8,000 unique visitors a month, gives it some advantages.

"We found that we have an ability that's hard to find in the physical world," said CTO Scott Petronis, referring to the ease of internal communication. 

Not only can employees report to work regardless of the weather, but there are no restrictions on how many employees the offices can support, no campus maintenance fees, and no geographical limits on recruiting talent.

"It's a great feeling to know that we can hire great talent regardless of where they are in the world," said Petronis.

I got to go on a tour of eXp's virtual offices, alongside Petronis and VP of Marketing Mitch Robinson. I sat at an introductory meeting, toured shared spaces, went to a beach, rode a speedboat, and got to meet some of eXp's employees, all without leaving my seat. 

Here's what it's like to work out of a virtual campus:

 

 

When I first signed on, I saw this man staring back at me. It took me a minute to realize that I was supposed to customize this guy to look like me.

I used the app from my desktop PC, but there's a mobile app, too. The mobile app comes with some limitations: You can only hear audio, not see the virtual world. It's really meant for taking conference calls in a pinch.



There aren't too many options to play with, but I was able to adjust my hair color, skin color, and face type. There were actually more options for clothes than personal appearance.

A company Representative says that eXp is always trying to add new options, and recently did so with religious head wear and seasonal clothing. We're also told that some employees change their avatar's clothing every day, just like in the real world.

 



Once I was ready, I found myself in an outdoor area of some sort, and I located my tour guides: eXp CTO Scott Petronis and VP of Marketing Mitch Robinson.

The controls were easy to get used to — you can either click around to move, or else guide yourself with the arrow keys. When someone was talking, their speech bubble turned light blue to let you know it's them.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We compared Google Calendar and Apple's built-in calendar app for the iPhone — and the winner is clear

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google calendar app

For many smartphone users, calendar apps are a vital tool for staying organized and remembering where and when they're supposed to be at all times.

Owners of the iPhone in particular have two standout solutions available to them: Apple's built-in calendar app, which can back up your events to Apple's iCloud service, and Google Calendar, powered by the search giant's formidable artificial intelligence.

I put the Apple and Google calendar apps head-to-head and found that Google's software is the clear winner for anyone looking to stay organized and keep track of their schedule efficiently.

Check it out:

SEE ALSO: We compared Google Photos and the built-in Apple Photos app on iPhone — and the winner is clear

EASE OF ACCESS

Both Apple's calendar and Google Calendar offer the convenience factor, because they come free with other accounts and devices you probably already use.

If you use Gmail, Google Drive, or any other G Suite services, you already have access to Google Calendar through any web browser. For more mobile-minded folks, there is a free Google Calendar app for both Android and iOS devices.

Sadly, there isn't a Google Calendar app for Mac OS computers or Windows 10.



Apple's calendar app comes preinstalled on all iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, and other Apple OS-powered devices. It can also be accessed from a web browser on any device through your iCloud account.

As expected, you won't find Apple's calendar app for any Android or Windows devices.



EASE OF USE

In my humble opinion, a calendar app, more than anything, needs to be easy to use.

Most of the time, when I open up my virtual calendar, I'm in the middle of making plans with friends or trying to find time for an important call, and the last thing I want is to take more than a few seconds to see my schedule or add a new event.

Google Calendar's colorful, spaced-out style makes even a particularly packed schedule look tidy and organized across every page of the mobile app.

The "schedule view" makes this especially easy by displaying all my upcoming events in one long, visually appealing list that's organized by date.

Google Calendar also automatically decorates my events with these stock images based on their titles.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 outlandish sports other countries love, but most Americans haven't even heard of

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sepak takraw

  • Americans love their sports, but there are many popular sports that aren't known in the United States.
  • They include variations on soccer and basketball, and unusual hybrid sports like sepak takraw.
  • Some of these sports are gaining popularity in America, but they have a ways to go.


America has a passion for sports. They entertain us, they teach us lessons, and they form a huge part of our national identity.

Between our five most popular sports— football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer — we have one for every season and every taste.

But there are plenty of other fascinating sports that we're missing out on in the United States. In many cases, some of the most compelling sports are ones that many Americans haven't even heard of.

Take sepak takraw, for example. It's the volleyball/soccer hybrid that is extremely popular in Southeast Asia, but unlikely to come up on American airwaves.

Read on to learn about 11 popular international sports that most Americans don't know the first thing about.

SEE ALSO: 11 things you'll hardly ever see in the United States

Kabaddi is like high-stakes red rover — you don't want to get caught on the other side of the court.

Where it's popular: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iran

How it's played: Kabaddi is sort of like a combination of red rover, tag, and wrestling. Teams take turns sending one raider across the court. That player scores one point for each member of the other team he tags, so long as he returns safely to his side of the court. But if the defending team manages to tackle the raider before he cross back to his side, the defense gets a point.

As for the length of each round, Kabaddi players have a unique way of keeping time: The raider must continually chant "kabaddi" without taking a breath — if the referee sees them inhale, their turn is automatically over.

How big is it? Pretty big. There are several professional kabaddi leagues in Asia, and it's been a regular at the Asian Games since 1990.



Sepak takraw is a high-flying sport combining volleyball and soccer.

Where it's popular: Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Myanmar

How it's played: Sepak takraw is like a combination of soccer and volleyball. Like volleyball, players serve a ball over a net and try to ground it on the other team's side of the court. However, there are no hands allowed: You can only use your feet, head, knees, and other body parts. The ball is made out of a hard fiber called rattan.

How big is it? It's been a staple of the Asian Games since 1990.



Futsal is an indoor variation of soccer popular all over the world.

Where it's popular: Every continent

How it's played: Futsal is a variation of soccer played on a small, indoor court with a hard surface and a smaller, heavier ball. Unlike in soccer, futsal teams have five players each and can make unlimited substitutions. 

How big is it? Futsal has a strong international presence, with world championships taking place every four years and continental championships roughly every two. It's becoming increasingly popular in American cities, as futsal courts are often easier to install than soccer fields.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The FBI's Carter Page document release and Trump's meeting with Putin dominated the Sunday shows. Here are the highlights that matter.

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sunday shows

The FBI's overnight release of Carter Page surveillance documents, US President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and future US moves with Russia dominated discussion on this week's Sunday political shows.

Here are the highlights.

SEE ALSO: Half of Americans disapproved of Trump's performance at the Putin summit, poll finds

SEE ALSO: America's global reputation will take 'years to repair' from the Trump era, experts warn

Carter Page downplays his Russian connections after the release of documents on FBI surveillance of him

On CNN's "State of the Union", former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page walked back his role and wouldn't detail his relationships with Russian officials, hours after the FBI released documents related to his surveillance.

Host Jake Tapper read from a document that Page once described himself as "informal adviser" to the Kremlin. Page called this "spin" and didn't go into further detail.

An application the FBI filed in October 2016 said the surveillance was necessary because "The FBI believes that Page has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian Government."

"I've never been an agent of a foreign power by any stretch of the imagination," Page said on Sunday.

Read more: Business InsiderCNN



Michael Avenatti says Michael Cohen has more Trump tapes and is "ready to tell the truth"

Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing porn star Stormy Daniels, said Sunday that Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen had multiple recordings of conversations with Trump, and that he knew what was on some of them.

Avenatti said on ABC's "This Week" he could confirm there were multiple tapes and demanded a clear statement from the Trump administration.

"My accuracy rate over the last six months has been spot on in this case," Avenatti said. "Let me tell you this, if I'm wrong, then why don't we have Mr. Trump or his attorneys come forward today, right now and claim there are no other tapes?"

After running into Cohen in a Manhattan restaurant, Avenatti said he expects Cohen is "ready to tell the truth" about Trump.

"I think you have seen an evolution by Michael Cohen over the last month or so with the retention of Lanny Davis and others," Avenatti said, referring to the recent addition of a member of former President Bill Clinton's special counsel to Cohen's legal team. "I think he is ready to tell the truth."

Read more: Business Insider



Sen. Lindsey Graham urges Trump to strengthen US infrastructure ahead of 2018 elections

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina urged Trump to realign his relationships within the government and strengthen US infrastructure before the midterm elections and a planned White House meeting with Putin this fall.

"Do not meet with this guy from a position of weakness," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation". "You need to be the leader of that movement and you need to work with Congress to come up with new sanctions because Putin's not getting the message."

Read more: CBS, Reuters



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 foods that can relieve bloating

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woman eating yogurt soup spoon braid food

We’ve all been there. You’ve only eaten a couple of pizza slices and now feel a bit too full. Or maybe you had a couple of beers at happy hour and there’s an uncomfortable rumbling in your tummy. It’s a case of bloating—  abdominal swelling usually brought on by gastrointestinal disorders or certain foods.

Whatever the reason for your gaseous distress, there are some foods that can actually help you win the bloat battle.

Asparagus acts as a diuretic.

Bodybuilders have long known the debloating powers of asparagus. It is rich in asparagine, an amino acid which acts as a diuretic, according to Men's Journal. Another positive? It is high in fiber which means you can feel full much longer.



Ginger has natural properties making it perfect for cutting down on bloat.

Ginger has natural digestive properties which makes it one of the best spices to ban the bloat. Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, told Women’s Health,"It also has a nice relaxing effect on your intestines, reducing inflammation in your colon, which will help the food you eat pass through your system more easily, and in turn, reduce the bloat and gas you experience."



Bananas are easily digestible.

The fiber found in bananas is soluble, making it easily digestible and helpful in easing constipation. In an interview with Health, contributing nutrition editor Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD explained how constipation can lead to bloat. "If you’re not able to eliminate waste in the GI tract, you become 'backed up' so to speak, which can lead to a bloated look."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

McDonald's salads have been linked to a parasitic illness outbreak that has sickened more than 160 people. Here's why this food-poisoning expert never orders salad in restaurants.

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spinach sprouts avocado woman eating healthy salad



A deep knowledge of thousands of food poisoning cases across the US means that there are some things that Bill Marler just won't order when he goes out to eat. 

With more than two decades working as a food-poisoning advocate and attorney, there are simply some things that Marler has cut out of his diet. Marler has won more than $600 million for clients in foodborne-illness cases — and has seen how restaurants are being forced to change to prevent more sicknesses. 

"Chain restaurants, post-Jack-in-the-Box, they went through a sort of rethinking about how they do stuff," Marler said. 

Today, many of the biggest risks for food poisoning at chain restaurants come from an individual worker who "picked his nose then made your burrito," Marler said. The action of a rogue restaurant worker can make a handful of people sick — but usually won't spark a huge outbreak. 

However, there are some foods that Marler avoids when he goes out to eat. That includes salad — a choice that has renewed relevance with a parasitic illness outbreak that has sicked more than 160 people across 10 states. The outbreak, caused by the cyclospora parasite, has been linked to McDonald's salads, and the fast-food chain has removed the menu item from 3,000 locations that may have been affected by the outbreak.

Here are the foods that Marler said scare him the most when he spots them on a restaurant menu: 

SEE ALSO: McDonald's salads linked to parasitic illness outbreak that has sickened more than 160 people in 10 states

Salads

Your healthy choice is actually one of the riskier options on the menu at chain restaurants. 

"I'd eat sushi before I ate a salad," Marler said. "I wouldn't eat it at a 7-11, but I've eaten sushi at a good sushi restaurant." 

While cooking veggies and meat can kill germs, salads bring together a lot of raw foods that have had countless opportunities for contamination. Restaurants that buy pre-chopped lettuce from suppliers put themselves at even greater risk.

"Not every lettuce leaf in the field is contaminated E. coli, but some of them are," Marler said of the risks of pre-washed, bagged lettuce. "And when you mix and match it at a processing facility and chop it up, you get what you get." 



Soft-serve ice cream

Cleanliness of ice and ice cream machines can cause huge problems when workers aren't following safety guidelines. There's a grossness factor of finding mold in soft-serve ice cream machines — but there are also real risks. 

"There have been a number of cases linked to listeria, where listeria will get into the inner workings of these ice cream machines and kill people," Marler said. 



Rare meat

Marler agrees with known-germaphobe President Trump on at least one thing: well-cooked meat is the way to go.

"Skip the medium hamburger and get it well done, and just add a little ketchup like the president," he said. 

According to the expert, meat needs to be cooked to 160 degrees throughout to kill bacteria that could cause E. coli or salmonella.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 3 smartest things I did when looking for a new job

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Job

  • Looking for a job can be stressful and overwhelming, especially when you have to apply while working full time at your current gig.
  • There are some things you can do, like asking for what you want directly, that can help you land the perfect job.
  • Here are the three smartest things I did when looking for a new job.

 

In early 2015, I hit a low point. My freelance writing wasn’t bringing in enough to pay the bills, and I was running low on funds. I imagined the resumes I had sent in response to ads on Craigslist and Indeed were disappearing into overfull inboxes, never to be seen again.

I was desperate to find work – any kind of work.

When my situation felt hopeless, I got willing to do things that seemed crazy, like replacing my safe, formal cover letters with wildly honest (and sometimes borderline goofy) notes and going on interviews for jobs I was sure I would never accept. And those crazy things were the secret sauce that got me job interviews and, in the end, a position at a nonprofit I had admired for years.

One disclaimer: I'm not going to tell you to network. I'm terrible at small talk, and I hate networking. That doesn't mean you shouldn't reach out to your network when you're looking for work — I’m just not the right person to tell you how to do it.

Here are the three smartest things I did when looking for a job:

SEE ALSO: 5 signs you're not as good at your job as you think, according to a career expert

1. Say yes to everything

Before I reached my point of despair, I had a list of reasons why I shouldn't bother submitting job applications: I didn't have the required experience, it might not pay enough, I wasn't sure I wanted to do the work, and so on. I would convince myself that I couldn't get the job before I even applied.

I stopped listening to the hecklers inside my head and decided to commit to the job search process. I applied for anything and everything that related to writing and publishing and I even applied for jobs in my former field, paralegal work.

When I started to search for work in earnest, I gave myself a few rules:

  • Don't talk yourself out of applying for a job
  • Apply for any job that meets your (very broad) criteria
  • Say yes to all job interviews
  • Keep saying yes up until a job offer; then it's OK to turn job a position that's not a good fit

I applied for anything and everything that related to writing and publishing, and I even applied for jobs in my former field of paralegal work.

On my way to an interview with an environmental nonprofit whose work I loved, I tried to figure out how to tell them, gently, that I didn't want the job. I went to the interview because I was following the rules, and also because I wanted to meet them. To my surprise, I left that interview very much wanting the position.

If I hadn't gone on multiple interviews for jobs that I didn't want, I never would have found a job I was jazzed about.



2. Let it all hang out in your application letters

For most of my working life, I wrote very formal, old-school application letters with scintillating opening lines like, "I saw your ad on Craigslist. I think I would be a great fit for this position."

A job coach told me I needed to let my personality and sense of humor shine through in my cover letters, but I couldn't figure out how to do it. My terrific resume should speak for itself, right? Wrong.

When I got desperate, I decided to write cover letters with the filter off. It didn't seem like anyone read them anyway, so why not? I let myself have fun and wrote letters that were honest, personal, and informal.

I said insanely blunt things, such as:

"I'm interested in writing for [press], frankly, because I have read some of your books and, while I found them very helpful, I think I can do better.” (I didn't get that interview, but I stand by my self-assessment.)

And:

"Where were you when I was growing up? I babysat one family just because of all the cool Lego sets I got to build with at their house. [Business] is a brilliant concept and I'm jealous of the lucky kids who get to enjoy it!" (This innovative toy company contacted me right away.)

Sometimes, I felt I'd gone too far after I hit send on an application, but I discovered that the letters that seemed the wildest were also the most likely to get a response. Honesty and humor, with a positive spin, were the magic ingredients for my job search.



3. Ask for what you want

When an awesome nonprofit called to offer me a job, I was delighted. Unfortunately, the salary they first offered me was lower than I had expected. Rather than take a salary that would have pinched my budget, I asked for more – and was immediately offered a higher starting pay.

Remember that the salary you start with will be the salary on which they'll base your raises and bonuses. If you hope to stay with the organization, your starting salary could make a big difference in your earnings over time.

I also asked for a four-day work week, to give me time for my creative work. This was another yes. You might be surprised how many employers are willing to offer flexible schedules to keep a valuable employee — like you — happy.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Apple put together a list of the 16 best apps with a 'pure black mode' to help you get the most out of the iPhone X's gorgeous OLED display (AAPL)

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Apple completely redesigned the iPhone's App Store last September with the release of iOS 11 — and Apple's efforts appear to be paying off.

In the first six months of iOS 11 availability, app downloads have soared, according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower (via 9to5Mac).

It's a simple case of cause-and-effect: People are downloading more apps because Apple has found better ways to feature them.

In addition to Apple's "daily stories," which highlight a single app, plus its daily games and apps of the day, Apple also has its App Store editors curating themed lists of apps every single day, like apps that can help you be a better cook, or apps to help you keep your kids entertained.

Recently, Apple's App Store editors created a daily list called "Does This App Come In Black?", which highlighted 16 iOS apps that offer a "pure black mode."

Darker themes are softer on the eyes, especially at night, but apps with a pure-black mode are also a great way to take advantage of the gorgeous OLED screen on the iPhone X, which can display far greater contrast than the LCD displays on previous iPhones. Colors look more vibrant, and blacks and dark colors look much deeper. If you own an iPhone X, you owe it to yourself to try more apps with darker themes.

These are the 16 iPhone apps with a "pure black mode" that were hand-picked by Apple's App Store editors — and a few other choice apps and avenues we've thrown in for good measure, for those people who really want to embrace the dark side of their OLED phone:

Reeder 3, an app for reading and sharing news stories

Price: $4.99

Download it here.



Bear, an app for writing, note-taking, coding, and sketching

Price: Free, with in-app purchases

Download it here.



Instapaper, an app for saving and reading news stories either online or offline

Price: Free

Download it here.



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8 lessons I've learned from moving 14 times in 12 years

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Moving

  • Moving can be overwhelming, both financially and emotionally.
  • On the other hand, moving to a new place brings the opportunity to meet new people, explore a different area, and have meaningful experiences.
  • Author Yan Mei moved 14 times in 12 years, including international and cross-country relocations — here's what she learned.


I've been living contentedly in the same neighborhood for almost four years, yet my friends and family still ask, "Will you move again soon?"

I don't blame them: I have a bit of a nomadic history. I moved 14 times in 12 years, including three international moves (from China to Great Britain, from Great Britain to Switzerland, and then Switzerland to the United States) and one cross-country move from the San Francisco Bay Area to New York City.

I consider myself fortunate, because my moves have gone hand in hand with positive steps in life — a graduate degree in London, career growth for my husband, a bigger apartment before I gave birth.

Moving so many times commanded a great deal of planning and effort, not to mention stress. However, the excitement of reorganizing my life and being part of a new place has always given me an adrenaline rush.

Here are the lessons I've learned as a serial mover:

SEE ALSO: 5 mistakes we made when we bought our first house

Always research the cost of living, job prospects, and healthcare details prior to moving to a new country

I didn't know that London would be so expensive until I moved there from China for grad school.

The city really honed my math skills: The number on every price tag, times 15, would yield how much it would cost in Chinese yuan. At least the UK's public health insurance, National Health Service (NHS), is free.

For every subsequent relocation, I made a list of pros and cons of the cost of living, job prospects, and health care in my new prospective home prior to moving.



A short trip to the country you're moving to before the move can leave a misleading impression

Moving to London taught me that cities vary widely neighborhood by neighborhood, and one sightseeing trip might leave a skewed impression.

My husband's company offered us visits to Switzerland and San Francisco before our moves, but we turned them down. We decided to leave neighborhood navigation until after we landed.

Once we arrived, with a clearer big picture, we had no qualms making the final decision about where we wanted to live, even though we hadn't set foot in the cities before we moved.



Find your bearings through research before moving

While calculating the financials and having a big picture of relocation is crucial for people like me, who either can't or choose not to visit a new city or country before moving, visiting and investigating different neighborhoods is equally important after you land.

A neighborhood's public transportation, commute, schools, neighborhood safety, grocery shops, and entertainment options will all affect your daily life, so you want to get to know them as well as possible before making a decision.

During our last move, daycare hunting was the last thing on my mind. I naïvely thought that there would be abundant choices in a cosmopolitan city like New York. This was a big mistake. In reality, it took me three months to find suitable daycare for our son.



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11 low-calorie foods that might not actually help with weight-loss

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Pretty much everyone knows that reducing the number of calories you take in can lead to weight loss. However, the process of shedding pounds isn’t always that simple.

Diet foods may seem like your best bet when it comes to whittling down your waistline, but indulging in some low-calorie foods could actually be preventing you from slipping into a smaller pant size.  

Here are a few foods that are low in calories, but might not help you lose weight.

SEE ALSO: The best ways to lose weight and keep it off, according to science

Powdered peanut butter isn't perfect.

Powdered peanut butter has developed something of a cult following due to its lower fat and calorie content. One popular brand of the powdered stuff has just 45 calories per two tablespoons, compared to the 190 calories in two tablespoons of conventional peanut butter.

However, nutritionists aren’t totally sold on the power of powdered peanut butter to shrink your waistline.

"The fat [regular peanut butter] contains is the healthy monounsaturated type that helps you feel full and may even help decrease belly fat," Laura Cipullo, an RD and CDE in private practice in New York, toldShape.

Healthy fats can help you feel fuller for longer. Since powdered peanut butter contains up to 85% less fat than the normal version of the spread,  it may leave you craving more, sooner.



Low-calorie ice cream is tasty, but not necessarily healthy.

Those trendy pints of low-calorie ice cream that you’ve been spotting in health food store freezers may only be 300 calories per container, but they could be stalling your weight loss.

"This fits perfectly in the category of ‘just because it’s a slightly better choice does not mean that it is a good choice," Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition and public health at New York University, toldFortune.

Everybody needs a treat now and then, but swapping out a scoop of regular ice cream for an entire pint of low-cal ice cream could just reinforce your junk food habit and keep you from changing your eating patterns.



3. Broccoli has lots of nutrients, but it can cause bloating.

There’s no denying that broccoli is packed with nutrients, and with just 205 calories in an entire head, it’s a great low-calorie swap for less healthy dinner sides. However, when it comes to weight loss, piling your plate too high with this cruciferous veggie has a dark side.

"Eating too much roughage bloats your belly, makes you gassy, and can even cause constipation, none of which will help you look better in a bikini", Cipullo toldShape.  

The real issue with eating mass amounts of low-calorie vegetables like broccoli is that the behavior perpetuates the cycle of bingeing. Part of healthy weight loss is finding a way to eat nutritiously and happily without feeling the need to stuff yourself to the gills.



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Inside one of New York City's oldest and most famous bars, which serves only 2 beers and didn't allow women in until 1970

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  • Established in 1854, McSorley's Old Ale House is one of New York City's oldest bars.
  • The bar is still open in its original location.
  • Hundreds of items hang on its walls, some of which have been there since the day it opened.


McSorley's Old Ale House is one of the oldest bars in New York City. Established in 1854, the bar still serves its signature ale and sits in the same location as it did from the beginning.

Plenty of famous people have walked through its doors, like Teddy Roosevelt, Woody Guthrie, John Lennon, Babe Ruth, Hunter S. Thompson, and Harry Houdini. President Abraham Lincoln is rumored to have paid McSorley's a visit, and E.E. Cummings even wrote a poem about the bar.

Entering McSorley's feels like a trip back in time, and there are signs of its history all around. Ahead, take a look inside the famous ale house.

SEE ALSO: Take a tour of New York's most expensive neighborhood for renters, where the apartments cost $6,500 a month

McSorley's Old Ale House is located in the East Village, on 7th Street near 3rd Avenue in the St. Mark's Historic District.



Established in 1854, the pub boasts the slogan "We were here before you were born."



Only two types of beer are served at McSorley's: a light and dark ale. Ordering is easy — you simply say "light" or "dark."



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36 incredible, award-winning drone photos that will make you feel like you're flying

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When it comes to drone photography, the sky truly is the limit.

Drones can take photos so detailed that they look three dimensional, from positions that humans can't reach. They're useful tools for recognizing patterns in landscapes and architecture as well as capturing the random, colorful array of people going about their lives from above.

For the 2018 Drone Awards, a panel of judges selected the best in aerial photos out of 4,400 submissions from 101 countries.

Here are the best drone photos of 2018.

"Cargo" by Davide Lopresti

Highly Commended, Urban.



"Chaos" by Alex Visbal

Highly Commended, Urban.



"Cold Winter Night" by Yavor Michev

Highly Commended, Urban.



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Watch Afghan special forces' all-female platoon train to kick ass and take names

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Female Tactical Platoon members fire during a qualification range near Kabul, Afghanistan, Mar. 13, 2018.

Within the special operations ranks of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces is a small, elite unit with a unique characteristic: It’s made up entirely of women.

The Female Tactical Platoon is tasked with supporting the Afghan Special Security Forces during counterterrorism operations, specializing in searches, interrogations, and medical assistance.

The 120 female warriors are required to meet the same PT and training requirements as their male counterparts, and their 15-week-long deployment cycles of six-woman teams come with the same dangers and risks.

“I want to send a message that when were are on a mission, this is what we trained for,” one FTP member told the U.S. military’s public affairs team in April. “Don’t be scared of us, we are here to help you.”

Here’s a look at the women warriors of the FTP.

SEE ALSO: These photos of US troops hammering ISIS in Syria and then playing baseball are straight outta 'Apocalypse Now'

The members of the FTP come from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior and, in some cases, intensive recruiting from the local population in search of women with the right skill set.



FTP fighters specialize in carrying out searches and questionings of women and children, as well as offering medical assistance, by operating “in a way that is respectful of Islam and the Afghan culture,” according to a recent DoD release.

Source: DoD



“Last year in Bagram, one of the girls was shot by the Taliban. She was injured, and was in shock and I stayed with her and helped her,” said one FTP member. “The training we do here helps with our missions.”



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Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott became parents just 10 months after meeting — here's a complete timeline of their relationship

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Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have already clocked a number of relationship milestones during their short time together. The couple got matching tattoos, famously welcomed a daughter in February, and recently posed for their first photo shoot together.

Here's a complete timeline of their young relationship, which began just 10 months before Stormi Webster was born.

Neither Jenner nor Scott can remember when or where they actually met.

According to the couple's recent cover story for GQ, neither Jenner nor Scott "can remember where, exactly, they first met." Both did admit, however, that Jenner was convinced Scott didn't like her at first.

"We always knew each other, like we were hanging around each other — I mean, we just had mutual friends," she said in a video for GQ. "But we never really had a conversation because I thought that he didn't like me."



March 2017: Jenner ended her long-term relationship with Tyga.

Rumors began to swirl when fans realized Tyga had not made an appearance on Jenner's social media since Valentine's Day of that year. An anonymous source told HollywoodLife that Jenner had dumped the pseudo-rapper because she was "bored" with the "dead end" relationship.

Later in the month, Tyga's ex-fianceé Blac Chyna heavily suggested in a Snapchat rant that he had been cheating on Jenner, as reported by Cosmopolitan.

"Multiple sources" confirmed the split to People in early April. At the time, these sources framed the break-up as a brief separation— which seemed consistent with the couple's on-and-off relationship.

"They tend to take little breaks all the time and then get back together," says one insider. "It's definitely possible they'll work things out again."

Jenner later opened up about the split on an episode of "Life of Kylie," stating that the two will "always have a bond."

"There was absolutely nothing wrong with me and T," she revealed. "There was no crazy fight. We decided — well, I decided — that I'm really young. I don't want to look back in five years from now and feel like he took something from me, when he's really not that type of person."



April 16, 2017: Jenner and Scott were spotted holding hands at Coachella.

Coachella wasn't exactly the couple's first date — but rather "a hang that went well," according to the couple's recent cover story for GQ. Fan photos revealed that Jenner and Scott were holding hands as they roamed the grounds of the famous music festival. 

A source told People at the time that the two had been "a thing" before and "friends for a while"— but also implied that their flirtation was designed to make Tyga jealous. In reality, the two just "hit it off" and had immediate chemistry, according to Jenner's best friend Jordyn Woods.

Jenner recently opened up about the beginning of their relationship to GQ and revealed that, after Coachella, she spontaneously decided to join Scott on his tour.

"He said, 'I'm going back on tour — what do we want to do about this?' Because we obviously liked each other. And I was like, 'I guess I'm going with you,'" she said.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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