• Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
• We interviewed experts to find out what to buy on Black Friday and what you should avoid.
• You should buy TVs, gaming consoles, video games, kitchen appliances, and smart home tech. 
• Deals on clothing, toys, Apple devices, and furniture are usually not worth it.
• You can check out all our deal coverage for Black Friday 2019 on Insider Picks, as well as our Coupons page.

Black Friday is coming up next week, and it's time to start planning. 

Some stores have already released their deals, while others are maintaining the mystery. But you can be sure that your favorite outlets, from Amazon to Walmart to Target to Best Buy, will be offering some form of a discount on just about any product you can think of. You might be tempted to grab the first deals you see or to buy anything you can get your hands on.

But be careful: Not all deals are created equal. You'll get great value for your money on certain products — but some tend to see better discounts at other times of the year. If you go in knowing what you're looking for, you're less likely to be ripped off by a fancy-looking coupon or to spend money on products you don't need.  

Read more: Check out all our holiday gift guides

To help you get started, we asked shopping experts for the best (and worst) products to buy on Black Friday 2019. 

Here's what to buy on Black Friday 2019:

• TVs
• Smart home devices
• Gaming consoles
• Video games
• Kitchen appliances

Buy it: TVs

Shop the best Black Friday TV deals

Historically, Black Friday has been a great time to purchase big-ticket electronics — especially larger TVs. 

"We expect things like 75-inch TVs to be at a lower price point," said Vivek Pandya, Digital Insights Manager at Adobe. "A larger trend we're seeing of people creating large home-entertainment systems has driven up the demand. With technology like 4K and HDR, it's reaching a point where we're seeing customers pleasantly happy with that, and not being so brand-loyal." 

That said, research TV brands and models before Black Friday arrives. Major retailers will often sell low-quality electronics just for Black Friday; you want to make sure you're buying products you'll like, and products that will last. 

If you're looking for the best value for your money, LG is a good place to start. 

"In 2018, we saw a ton of LG TV deals," said Michael Bonebright, consumer analyst for DealNews.com. "So if you're shopping for a big-screen set, look to LG for the best deals on Black Friday. For instance, we saw a 75-inch LG TV at Dell Home bundled with a $100 gift card for just $1,000 in 2018."

We also saw excellent deals from Samsung, TCL, and Vizio last year. 

Buy it: Smart home devices

Shop the best Amazon Black Friday deals on smart home devices

Black Friday is the best day of the year to get Amazon Alexa devices for free, according to Bonebright.

"Retailers love to bundle these gadgets into other offers," he said. "Amazon Echo Dots are probably the easiest devices to get. They're typically bundled with electronics like TVs or smart home devices like Ring doorbells." And since Amazon released eight new Echo devices in October, we expect last year's Alexa products (such as the 2nd-Gen Echo Plus and the 2nd-Gen Echo Show) to see discounts as well. 

In a BlackFriday.com survey, 30% of consumers said they hoped to buy smart home gadgets this Black Friday.  

Buy it: Consoles

Shop the best GameStop Black Friday deals on video game consoles

Shop the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals

Black Friday is usually a great time to buy older consoles, especially if you're looking for bundles. In 2018, we saw a number of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 packages featuring some of the year's best games at their lowest prices of the year. 

"We expect that the Playstation 4 will be heavily discounted in the form of bundles," Pandya said. "A lot of strong price value there as retailers look to move their inventory of those types of system. A new generation of consoles is on the horizon."

However, there's one exception: Nintendo. The company didn't offer many major deals on the Switch last year, and Black Friday sales on latest-generation consoles (namely, the new Switch Lite) are usually fairly limited. 

Buy it: Video games

From "Apex Legends" to "Kingdom Hearts III," a number of excellent video games came out early this year. Black Friday is an opportunity for retailers to clear out their stock and make room for next year's crop. 

"Gamers should expect to pay $20 to $40 for big-name video games that came out in early 2019," says Bonebright. 

Buy it: Kitchen appliances

Shop the best Target Black Friday deals on kitchen appliances

Shop the best Kohl's Black Friday deals on kitchen appliances

Shop the best Walmart Black Friday deals on kitchen appliances

Black Friday is usually a good time to buy smaller kitchen appliances, including blenders, rice cookers, toasters, and the like. Retailers will be looking to get rid of basic, budget-oriented devices in particular. 

"Department stores like Kohl's will have a bunch of small kitchen appliances for $5 to $10 as doorbusters," Bonebright said. "These toasters, blenders, etc. are cheap for a reason — don't expect them to last forever. Still, it's worth picking them up, especially if you're shopping for a college student." 

Here's what to avoid on Black Friday:

Don't buy the following on Black Friday:

• Lingerie
• Apple devices
• Clothing
• Smartphones
• Toys
• Furniture

Skip it: Lingerie

Stores that sell undergarments usually don't pull out their shoelaces for Black Friday; they've already got their eye on the post-holiday period. 

"While stores like Victoria's Secret and Soma will definitely host Black Friday sales, you should hold off shopping for fancy underwear until after the holidays," Bonebright said. "After Christmas, both of these stores will launch huge semi-annual sales that will likely have better deals — and a wider selection — than Black Friday." 

Skip it: Apple products

While many tech companies offer deals on gadgets, we don't expect Apple to be among them this year. The company doesn't usually discount its own products for Black Friday; the best you're likely to find is gift-card bundles or extra trade-in credit from third-party retailers. 

In particular, beware of the MacBook. "Apple products are rarely discounted to begin with, but the latest 2019 MacBook models are unlikely to see more than a few dollars off during Black Friday," Bonebright said. "In previous years, some of the best deals for current-gen MacBooks saw the devices at list price, but bundled with free AppleCare." Yawn. 

Skip it: Clothing

You'll see a lot of apparel on sale for Black Friday, especially if you're shopping in stores. But be careful: Even at a discount, there's no need to buy things that won't last, or that you won't wear. It takes time to find garments that are the right size, style, and material for you, and that can be hard to find in the frenzy of Black Friday. 

Instead, experts recommend buying clothing later on in December. Not only will you have more time to shop carefully, but deals are also likely to be similar — if not better. Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that while women's clothing saw steep discounts during Black Friday, the discounts offered in the two weeks that followed were nearly the same. 

"Many clothing retailers now extend and introduce deals all the way into the new year, giving shoppers more time to reach a purchasing decision," said Scott Ruzal, Senior Director of Marketing and Account Strategy at marketing firm DXagency. 

Additionally, when it comes to clothing deals, there's nothing special about the holiday period. Clearance racks are stocked with last season's discounted clothing throughout the year. (For example, don't buy a winter coat in December, no matter the promotion — it'll be half off in a few months). 

"Apparel and clothing, those types of areas are very much informed by seasonality, and their pricing is very much dictated by when things are coming in and out of season," said Pandya. When it comes to Black Friday prices, "we're not expecting to see a lot of change there." 

Skip it: Smartphones

Black Friday usually isn't the best time to buy a new phone — unless you want one of last year's models. 

When it comes to newest smartphones, including the iPhone 11 and Galaxy Note 10 lineups, "they'll be doing promotions, but we don't expect to see a lot of price reduction because they're still very much high in demand," Pandya said. 

We do, however, expect to see decent discounts on older phones, such as the Galaxy S9, as stores make room for next year's devices. 

Skip it: Toys

You probably know many parents who are dead set on getting their kid the hottest new toy this Black Friday. Our advice: Wait it out. Not only are these products very likely to sell out, but they also see their best discounts later in the year. 

"Usually we see certain items that people are really in a manic frenzy to get for their kids," said Pandya. "Things like the Hatchimals and the LOL dolls. Discounting heavily on these items comes in much stronger during the Cyber Monday period." 

Toys also tend to see great sales about two weeks before Christmas. 

Skip it: Furniture

Furniture tends to see its best discounts after the holidays. 

"Historically, things like furniture are cheaper in December," said Janet Alvarez, executive editor of personal-finance publication Wise Bread. "The week between Christmas and New Years is a wonderful week to load up on furnishings, especially things like outdoor grills, and large appliances like ovens and refrigerators. Retailers are desperate to let go of anything in their inventory before the next year starts."

Also, if you already have Christmas decorations, under no circumstances should you buy new ones on Black Friday. These will hit the clearance rack the minute Christmas is over. Your future-Christmas self will thank you.  

See more Black Friday sales and deals

• The absolute best Black Friday deals of 2019
• The best tech deals of Black Friday 2019
• Kohl's Black Friday deals 2019
• Amazon Black Friday deals 2019
• Walmart Black Friday deals 2019
• Target Black Friday deals 2019
• The best mattress deals on Black Friday 2019

• The Xbox One X and Xbox One S are among the most powerful gaming consoles out there.
• The consoles and their games will get impressive discounts for Black Friday at Best Buy, Walmart, and Microsoft.
• Some of these deals start on November 24, while others won't start until November 27, so if you don't see them yet, then it's worth checking back later.
• You can check out the rest of our Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage on Insider Picks.

Black Friday is almost here, and it's set to be the best time of the year to buy gaming devices — including the PlayStation 4, and, of course, the Microsoft Xbox One.

The Xbox One is the most powerful gaming console on the market, so you'll get beautifully detailed graphics, awesomely long storylines, and many great games.

Interested in getting the Xbox for less? Plenty of retailers have announced their Black Friday deals, so we know where some of the best Xbox deals will be available.

Here are the best Black Friday Xbox deals we could find. Keep in mind, some of these deals will start on November 24, while others won't start until November 27, so it's worth checking back later if the deals aren't live yet.

5 best Xbox Black Friday deals in 2019:

1. Xbox One X 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" for $349.99 (originally $499.99) [You save $150]
2. Xbox One S 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" for $199 (originally $299) [You save $100]
3. Xbox One S 1TB All-Digital Edition for $149.99 (originally $249.99) [You save $100]
4. Xbox One S 1TB with two controllers for $199.99 (originally $279.99) [You save $80]
5. Save up to 65% on Xbox One games like "Gear5" and "NBA 2K20" [You save 65%]

Will Microsoft Have a Black Friday sale?

Thankfully, yes. Many of the best console deals may come from other retailers, but Microsoft will still offer some excellent Xbox One deals of its own. Microsoft's own deals will be available from November 24 to December 2. 

Will "Jedi: Fallen Order" be on sale for Black Friday?

We currently have no word on whether or not "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" will be available at a discount on its own — but it will be available on sale bundled with an Xbox One console.

Does GameStop have Black Friday deals?

GameStop will have a range of Black Friday deals of its own. These deals will include console deals, and game deals. GameStop's deals aren't available just yet, but they will be next week.

Xbox One X 1TB with 'Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order'

This deal will run from November 24 to December 2. 

If you're looking for the most powerful version of the Xbox, then the Xbox One X is the way to go. This console can output video at a hefty 4K, so you'll be able to play games in stunning detail.

Not only that, but this bundle comes with the highly-anticipated and already well-reviewed "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order," so you'll be able to get started playing as soon as you get your console. This bundle normally costs $499.99, but it's on sale for Black Friday for an impressive $150 off, bringing the total to $349.99.

Get the Xbox One X 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" from Walmart, $349.99 (originally $499.99) [You save $150]

Get the Xbox One X 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" from Best Buy, $349.99 (originally $499.99) [You save $150]

Get the Xbox One X 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" from Microsoft, $349.99 (originally $499.99) [You save $150]

Xbox One S 1TB with 'Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order'

This deal will run from November 24 to December 2. 

Perhaps you don't want or need an Xbox that supports 4K — in which case, it's worth considering the Xbox One S bundle, which also comes with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order."

The Xbox One S is still a very capable console and will display beautifully vivid games — even if they're not in 4K. While the bundle normally costs $299.99, on Black Friday, you can get it for only $199.99  — $100 off the normal price.

Get the Xbox One S 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" from Walmart, $199 (originally $299) [You save $100]

Get the Xbox One S 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" from GameStop, $199 (originally $299) [You save $100]

Get the Xbox One S 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" from Microsoft, $199 (originally $299) [You save $100]

Xbox One S 1TB All-Digital Edition

This deal will run from November 24 to December 2. 

Don't like the idea of having to buy physical copies of video games? The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is the Xbox console for you. This console doesn't have a disc reader at all, but the trade-off is that it's a little cheaper than other Xbox One consoles. Safe to say, if you really only plan on buying digital copies of games anyway, this may well be the way to go. Just know that you can't take advantage of used games.

Get the Xbox One S 1TB All-Digital Edition from Walmart, $149.99 (originally $249.99) [You save $100]

Get the Xbox One S 1TB All-Digital Edition from Best Buy, $149.99 (originally $249.99) [You save $100]

Xbox One S 1TB with two controllers

This deal will start on November 24. 

If you prefer to play video games with friends, then you might need a second controller – in which case this bundle is for you. The bundle doesn't come with any games, but you will get the Xbox One S console with two controllers – and that's perfect for those who like playing local multiplayer games.

Get the Xbox One S 1TB bundle with 2 wireless controllers from Costco, $199.99 (originally $279.99) [You save $80]

Save up to 65% on Xbox One games

This deal will run from November 24 to December 2. 

Once you have an Xbox One console, you might want to get a few games for it, and Microsoft has a range of discounts on games. You'll get up to a whopping 65% off Xbox One games, including recent titles like "Gears 5" and "NBA 2K20." These deals seem to be specifically for digital games, so you'll need to be willing to download your games instead of own physical copies.

Save up to 65% on Xbox One digital games

See more Black Friday sales and deals

• The absolute best Black Friday deals of 2019
• The best tech deals of Black Friday 2019
• Kohl's Black Friday deals 2019
• Amazon Black Friday deals 2019
• Walmart Black Friday deals 2019
• Target Black Friday deals 2019
• The best mattress deals on Black Friday 2019

See more Cyber Monday 2019 sales and deals

• The absolute best Cyber Monday deals of 2019
• The best tech deals of Cyber Monday 2019
• Amazon Cyber Monday deals 2019
• Target Cyber Monday deals 2019
• Walmart Cyber Monday deals 2019
• Macy's Cyber Monday deals 2019
• What is Cyber Monday? Everything you need to know

• The 2020 Grammy Awards nominations were announced Wednesday morning.
• Taylor Swift, Maren Morris, Tyler, The Creator, Rosalía, and The 1975 were all snubbed in major categories.
• Beloved artists like Halsey, BTS, and Solange were completely ignored.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards were announced Wednesday morning.

A lot of new talent was recognized as Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and Lil Nas X led the pack for the 62nd annual ceremony, which will air live from Los Angeles' Staples Center on January 26, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Veteran pop stars Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey finally received recognition in major categories for the first time in their careers.

But while there's plenty to celebrate about this year's crop of nominees, there are also ways in which it feels woefully inadequate. There were beloved albums, hit songs, and renowned artists that were left out entirely.

Keep reading to see Insider's picks for the 11 biggest snubs, in no particular order.

Of the three major categories, Taylor Swift was only nominated for song of the year.

While Swift's song "Lover" certainly deserves its nod for song of the year — especially considering she's the lone songwriter credited on the track, and this award recognizes excellence in lyricism — her album "Lover" should have received wider recognition.

It was thankfully nominated for best pop vocal album, but inexplicably shut out of album of the year, despite its near-universal critical acclaim (Rolling Stone called it a "career-capping masterpiece") and Swift's status as a Grammys darling.

Maren Morris was widely considered a lock for album of the year, but she didn't even get a nomination for best country album.

Back in October, Billboard reported that "five albums seem like locks" for album of the year at the 2020 Grammys, including "Girl" by Maren Morris.

But not only was Morris' excellent album ignored in the major categories, she was barely even recognized in the country-specific categories, securing a lone nomination for best country duo/group performance. Considering that "Girl" literally just won album of the year at the CMA Awards, this seems like an obvious oversight.

Rosalía's "El Mal Querer" should have been nominated for album of the year.

Rosalía's sublime sophomore LP was nominated for best Latin rock, urban or alternative album, but extending that honor to the Grammys' most prestigious category would have been a more inspired choice.

No artist has ever introduced traditional flamenco stylings so successfully to such a massive audience — let alone combine that sound with reggaetón, trap, and celestial vocals to create a "relentlessly gorgeous" concept album that's based on a 13th-century novel.

Put simply, Rosalía is one of a kind, and her most recent album isn't just pushing boundaries, expectations of Latin music, and imagined lines between genres. It's demolishing them.

Tyler, The Creator's No. 1 album "Igor" was universally praised by fans and critics, but it was ignored in major categories.

Tyler, The Creator released the most beloved and critically acclaimed rap-adjacent album this year (to narrowly label it "rap" feels inadequate). "Igor" is his most cohesive, sonically rich, and innovative project to date, hailed as "meticulously crafted" (Rolling Stone) and "the work of a perfectionist giving shape to his more radical ideas" (Pitchfork). 

"The production here is superb,"Roisin O'Connor wrote for The Independent. "Tyler has never been one for traditional song structure, but on 'Igor' he's like the Minotaur luring you through a maze that twists and turns around seemingly impossible corners, drawing you into the thrilling unknown."

For an awards ceremony that nominated Drake, Post Malone, and Cardi B for album of the year in 2019, "Igor" felt like a natural choice for 2020. After all, it's more exciting and experimental than "Scorpion,""Beerbongs & Bentleys," and "Invasion of Privacy" put together. But, alas, it was relegated to the best rap album category and ignored everywhere else.

Despite universal acclaim for their newest album, The 1975 received just one nomination for best rock song.

"A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships," released in 2018 just after the cutoff for last year's Grammys, is arguably The 1975's best album to date. Not giving it an album of the year nod is confusing and incorrect, but not nominating it at all — for either best rock album or best alternative album — is a downright tragedy.

Thankfully, The 1975 didn't emerge completely empty-handed, since "Give Yourself A Try" secured a nomination for best rock song — but that wasn't even the band's best eligible song. "Sincerity Is Scary" would have made sense in pop or R&B categories, and "Love It If We Made It" would have even deserved to win song of the year, had it been given the chance.

Normani didn't get any love, despite releasing two of the year's best pop songs.

Normani's smash collaboration with Sam Smith, "Dancing With a Stranger," seemed like a shoo-in at least for best pop duo/group performance, but it came up empty-handed.

Even more bothersome, Normani's debut solo single "Motivation," which was as close to a perfect pop song as anyone got in 2019, was also ignored. It would've been an easy choice for best pop solo performance, but honestly, it would've felt right at home in the record of the year category.

Halsey's "Without Me" should have been nominated for record or song of the year (or both).

Halsey, the High Priestess of punk-rock-alt-pop, has only been nominated at the Grammys for her features on other artists' songs (Justin Bieber's"The Feeling" and The Chainsmokers' "Closer," both in 2016), but that seemed essentially guaranteed to change this year.

In January, Halsey logged her first No. 1 hit as a solo artist with the searingly intimate, soaring ballad "Without Me," the same year that she received an award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

"Without Me" seemed like an easy choice for song of the year — especially since the Grammys love when an artist is habitually credited as their own primary songwriter — if it didn't score a double nomination for song and record. Instead, Halsey was completely excluded from the ceremony.

BTS, the biggest group in the world, was completely ignored.

When BTS released "Map of the Soul: Persona" in April, it became the group's third album to reach No. 1 in the country in less than a year, tying a record set by The Beatles. It offered the perfect opportunity for the Grammys to prove their relevance on a global scale, but instead, they've made it painfully clear just how late they are to the party.

"MOTS: Persona" would have made sense for album of the year, best pop vocal album — or even best world music album if the voters were really unsure. Their collaboration with Halsey, "Boy With Luv," was an obviously choice for best pop duo/group performance. But once again, BTS came out empty-handed.

Neglecting to nominate Beyoncé's live album in bigger categories was a missed opportunity.

The Grammys likely managed to satiate Beyoncé fans by nominating music from her "Lion King" album, "The Gift," in multiple categories. But Beyoncé's superior release this year, "Homecoming: The Live Album," only received a perfunctory nomination for best music film.

None of the actual music from "Homecoming" was honored, which would make sense for any other artist; live albums are typically considered long shots at the Grammys. But no one does a live album like Beyoncé (who else could make "suck on my balls" sound like a transcendental chant?), and "Homecoming" managed to breathe even more life into her timeless catalog, seamlessly weaving together hits from different eras. (Not to mention, her voice sounds absolutely flawless, despite the elaborate dance routines we know she was performing.)

Solange should have been recognized in at least one category.

Solange's celebrated album "When I Get Home" was, once again, a masterclass in blending dreamy production, stunning vocals, intimate revelations, and social commentary while still maintaining a cohesive vision. It was considered a front runner for album of the year, but instead, it didn't even receive a cursory nod in any R&B category.

Maggie Rogers deserved more than a single nod for best new artist.

Apart from seeming to emerge from college fully-formed, already an accomplished singer-songwriter-producer and true visionary, Maggie Rogers seems like Grammys bait. Her soulful, intimate brand of folk-pop is just the kind of music that voters love to reward (think: 2019's album of the year winner Kacey Musgraves, who's more country but is beloved for similar reasons).

Of course, Rogers' music is difficult to categorize — would "Heard It In A Past Life" be more at home with the best pop vocal album nominees, or best alternative music album? — but either way, a singular nomination for best new artist feels inadequate.

• Read more:
• 11 artists who don't deserve their 2020 Grammy nominations — sorry
• 5 Grammy winners who didn't deserve their win in 2019 — sorry
• Every song that hit No. 1 on the chart in 2019, so far
• The 52 best music videos of 2019 so far, ranked

• US Marines at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina went through gas-chamber training earlier this month.
• The Marines were ushered into a small, dark, brick room with a sign above the door: "Even the brave cry here."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A sign hanging above the doors to the gas chamber reads, "Even the brave cry here." A dozen at a time, Marines are ushered into a small, dark, brick room. A thick haze of o-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile, more commonly known as CS gas, fills the air.

Marines with Deployment Processing Command, Reserve Support Unit-East (DPC/RSU) and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducted gas chamber training November 8, 2019, on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

"During qualification, which can take about four to five hours, Marines are taught nuclear biological and chemical (NBC) threats, reactions to NBC attacks, how to take care of and use a gas mask, how to don Mission-Oriented Protective Posture gear, the process for decontamination, and other facts relating to NBC warfare," said Cpl. Skyanne Gilmore, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) specialist with the 26th MEU.

SEE ALSO: US Marines and British soldiers teamed in North Carolina to practice handling POWs and finding bombs

"The gas chamber training teaches Marines how to employ gas masks in toxic environments, and to instill confidence with their gear during CBRN training. Training in the gas chamber is essential because a service member can never know when they could be attacked," Gilmore said.

According to Gunnery Sgt. James Kibler, Alpha Company operations chief with DPC/RSU, the unit conducts gas chamber training once a month due to the rotation of service members preparing for deployment.

The 26th MEU was training to complete Marine Corps Bulletin 1500, a biennial requirement for active-duty Marines.

With the enemy not having a clear or visual face, or wearing any organized uniform, it's critical Marines be mission ready in case of chemical attacks.

During the training, CBRN Marines monitor individuals who may be struggling in the gas chamber.

"We calmly talk to them, and we take them step by step of what to do," Gilmore said. "If they're freaking out, we have them look at us and breathe. If we have to, we pull them out of the gas chamber and let them take their mask off and get a few more breathes before we send them back in there so they can calm down and realize they're breathing normally."

Having confidence in one's gear and checking it over twice before going inside helps individuals from losing their composure in the gas chamber.

"Check the seal on your mask and the filters before going inside," said Gilmore. "When you feel like freaking out, take a breath and realize that you're not breathing in any CS gas. You should have confidence in yourself and your gear."

Due to the rise in chemical attacks, proper training in the gas chamber could save a service member's life.

"Throughout Iraq, there have been pockets of mustard gas and a couple other CBRN-type gases that have been found, especially within underground systems," Kibler said.

"I know that when I was there in 2008, a platoon got hit with mustard gas when they opened up a Conex box. The entire platoon was able to don their masks. Gas attacks are out there; it might not be bombs, but it's out there somewhere."

• The US is still trying to negotiate with the Taliban, which was found to be the world's deadliest terror organization for 2018, according to a report from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). 
• The US envoy for the Afghanistan peace talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, facilitated a prisoner swap between the US-backed Afghan government and the Taliban on Tuesday, in which the Afghan government released three Taliban leaders in exchange for two Western hostages and 10 members of the Afghan Security Forces.
• The IEP's Global Terror Index (GTI) shows that the Taliban was responsible for nine of the 10 deadliest terror incidents in 2018, including the deadliest, which killed 466 people in Ghazi, Afghanistan in August 2018. It surpassed ISIS as the deadliest terror group in the world for the first time since 2014. 
• Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories. 

Officials in the Trump administration continue to attempt negotiations with the Taliban to broker a US withdrawal from Afghanistan, as that group becomes the most deadly in the world, according to data for the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). 

Official peace talks between the US and the Taliban were declared "dead" in September after a Taliban bombing in Kabul killed a US soldier and scuttled President Donald Trump's attempt to bring Taliban officials to Camp David. But Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy to the Afghanistan peace talks, has been working to restart the talks since then.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal  reports, the US-backed Afghan government freed three senior Taliban officials with ties to the deadly Haqqani network, in exchange for the release of two westerners, one American and one Australian, abducted from the American University of Afghanistan in 2016. The Taliban also stated it would hand over 10 members of the Afghan security forces. 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heralded the move as "a good step," but cautioned, "it's only that," indicating that the prisoner swap is part of an ongoing process to get direct talks between the US and the Taliban back on track, this time including the official Afghan government in Kabul, which the Taliban has referred to as a "puppet" government.

The three Taliban leaders released are part of the Haqqani network, the most ruthless and bloodthirsty faction of what is now the world's deadliest terror group, according to the IEP's Global Terror Index.

SEE ALSO: Trump's Syria retreat is giving ISIS 'time and space' to strike the West, blistering Pentagon report says

SEE ALSO: Trump's retreat in Syria could be an intelligence coup for Russia. The leaked Iran cables show how that may play out.

The Taliban has overtaken ISIS as the deadliest terror organization in the world as of last year.

The Institute for Economics and Peace's annual Global Terror Index finds that the Taliban overtook ISIS as the deadliest terror group in the world in 2018, for the first time since ISIS's brutal rise in 2014.

In 2018, total deaths from terror incidents fell globally, but Afghanistan shouldered 46% of the 15,952 deaths from terror, with 7,379 fatalities from 1,443 incidents. The Taliban was, according to the GTI, responsible for 83 percent of those deaths, and for nine of the 10 deadliest terrorist attacks in the world.

The Taliban has also increased its control over land in Afghanistan; the report estimates that the Taliban controls approximately 17% of Afghanistan's 229 districts.

The Taliban perpetrated 2018's deadliest terror attack, in the city of Ghazni in August, killing 466 people. While the group often attacks military and political targets, it also attacks civilians, to a much lesser extent.

ISIS's lethality decreased significantly in 2018, as the US-led coalition made significant progress in defeating ISIS's territorial caliphate.

While the ISIS caliphate, which covered a swath of land across Iraq and Syria the size of Great Britain, was declared officially defeated in March of 2019, it had lost significant territory — as well as subjects, fighters, and sources of income — by 2018.

Its swift and brutal rise in 2014 put ISIS at the top of the GTI's list of deadliest terror groups from 2014 through 2017.

Last year, the GTI reports, ISIS was responsible for 1,328 deaths around the world, a 69% decrease from 2017, and an 85% decrease from 2016. ISIS's deadliest attacks occurred in Syria, including one in Deir Ezzor, Syria, which involved 10 suicide bombers and four vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDS) and killed at least 51.

Although GTI counts the terror group's affiliate, the Islamic State Khorasan chapter (ISIS-K), as a separate terror enterprise, the group has pledged its allegiance to the global ISIS enterprise, which has moved fighters to Afghanistan to stage attacks from there.

According to GTI, ISIS-K's fighting force has declined to about 600 to 800 from a peak of about 3,000 to 4,000 in 2016. The number of attacks they've staged have decreased as well — but they've become deadlier, as 2018 marked the highest number of deaths from ISIS-K attacks since the group's formation in 2014. 

Last year, ISIS-K was responsible for 1,060 deaths — most of them in Afghanistan.

Overall, deaths from terrorism are down globally.

As of 2018, deaths from terrorism have fallen 53% from their peak in 2014, according to the GTI. That year, 33,555 people were killed in terrorist attacks.

While the decrease is impressive, it's essential to remember that terrorism thrives in places of conflict, Stephen Killelea, the founder of the Institute for Economics and Peace, stressed to Insider that 99% of all terror incidents happen in countries where conflict is ongoing.

"95% of deaths from terrorism occur in a conflict setting," he said. 

"The intensity of terrorism dropped markedly," according to Killelea, but "we have an increase in the breadth of terrorism," and "it's still very real, still a major issue globally." 

One surprising trend, Killelea said, was the increase in far-right terror, which has increased 320% over the past five years, the report finds. While deaths from far-right terror incidents, like the Christchurch shooting in March of 2019, make up a small percentage of all terror-related deaths — 26 people died in 2018 from far-right terror attacks — the incidents are on the rise and perpetrated almost exclusively by individuals not tied to any particular group.

"Far right terrorists are remarkably successful," Killelea said. 

• Grafomap is a website that lets you design custom map posters and T-shirts of any place in the world.
• You can make one of your hometown, your college town, your favorite travel destination, or the place where you got engaged or married — you're only limited by your imagination.
• We made posters and a T-shirt of our favorite vacation spots, and the finished products are undeniably cool. The design process was super straightforward ... and a lot of fun.
• Custom map posters start at just $49 without a frame, while framed ones ($104) and posters printed on canvas ($99) and metal ($119) cost more. The T-shirt prints cost just $35.
• Right now, Grafomaps is offering discount codes for its maps so you can save 20% on any order (20OFF), get three maps for the price of two (DEAL), or get two paper maps for the price of one (TWOFORONE).
• If you're shopping for holiday gifts, you can check out all our holiday gift guides on Insider Picks.

I lived in my current apartment for six months before I found wall art my partner and I both liked enough to hang in it.

We're picky about what we should hang on our walls. Neither of us wants to decorate our space with Van Gogh reproductions and movie posters. Like a lot of people, we want to decorate it with wall art and photos that mean something to us.

A few years ago, I stumbled across an answer to our problem in the form of a website called Grafomap that lets you design map posters of any place in the world.

You can make one of your hometown, your college town, your favorite travel destination, or the place where you got engaged or married — you're only limited by your imagination.

Once you enter your desired location, Grafomap takes you to its poster editor where you can further customize your location down the exact address or coordinates. After that, you can continue personalizing your map by adjusting, panning, and zooming the map exactly to your liking, adding or removing text, and selecting the finish (paper, framed, or canvas), orientation, and size. Additionally, Grafomap has 11 unique color themes to choose from (including Noir, Bourbon, Minimal, and Modern) that transform your map from just an ordinary map into a work of art you'll love displaying in your home or wearing in T-shirt form.

My custom map poster of Sint Maarten took all of five minutes to create, and the finished product is undeniably cool. It's also very affordable. An 18x24-inch print sets you back $49. If you want to get something that's ready to hang right out of the box it's shipped in, you can get a 18x24-inch framed print for $104, a print on canvas for $99, a print on metal for $119, or one with a hanger for $69. The T-shirts are the most affordable at $35 each. (Full disclosure: I got to try the service for free.)

Right now, Grafomaps is offering discount codes for its maps so you can save 20% on any order (20OFF), get three maps for the price of two (DEAL), or get two paper maps for the price of one (TWOFORONE).

Grafomaps also has a partnership with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for every map sold.

Learn more about how Grafomap's custom poster editor works below. And try it out for yourself here.

Start by selecting a location for your map poster. I chose Sint Maarten since my partner and I have been vacationing there together for years.

Once you enter your desired location, Grafomap takes you to its poster editor where you can continue personalizing your map by adjusting, panning, and zooming the map to your liking, adding or removing text, and selecting the size, frame, and orientation.

I most enjoyed toggling between color themes. My favorites were Wheatpaste, Modern, and Carbon.

I ultimately went with Modern since I liked its colors and font best.

Here's a picture of the final product:

Here's a look at my colleague Malarie Gokey's map of Stockholm. She chose Wheatpaste as her color theme.

You can also choose to print your map on metal, a canvas, or a T-shirt.

Malarie also tried Grafomaps' T-shirt and Canvas options. The canvas map turned out beautifully and made an excellent birthday gift for her mom. The T-shirt print was well done and looked great, though the cotton wasn't the softest. We'll keep you posted on how it fares after a few runs through the wash.

As the holidays come creeping up, keep Grafomap in mind for a fun and memorable gift for family and friends.

Create your own custom map power at Grafomap here.

Looking for more gift ideas? We've got you covered.

• Our master list of every gift guide you'll ever need
• Creative gift ideas under $25
• Thoughtful gift ideas under $50
• Clever gift ideas under $100
• Cool stocking stuffers on Amazon
• Alexa-enabled smart home and car gifts
• Thoughtful gifts for her, all under $50
• Cool gifts for him on Amazon

• The 2020 Grammy Awards will air live Sunday, January 26, 2020, from Los Angeles' Staples Center on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. 
• Among the musicians nominated this year are Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, Billie Eilish, and the Cranberries.
• But even though some of these artists have been making music for several years, this is their first time receiving a Grammy nomination. 
• Spanish singer Rosalía and rapper Meek Mill are also some of the high-profile musicians just now receiving a Grammy nomination. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 

The 2020 Grammy nominations were announced on Wednesday and included some surprising first-time nominees. 

Even though musicians like Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, and the Cranberries have been making music for years, this was their first time receiving Grammy nominations. 

Singers like Rosalía and Billie Eilish were also nominated for awards. But although they seem like newcomers to the industry, they have both been making and recording songs for several years — proof that it can sometimes take a while to get noticed by the Recording Academy. 

The 2020 Grammy awards will air live Sunday, January 26, 2020, from Los Angeles' Staples Center on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. Here are eight of the most surprising first-time nominees. 

Lizzo is the most-nominated artist at this year's Grammy awards, but she's been making music since 2013.

The "Truth Hurts" singer is nominated for numerous awards, including record, album, and song of the year, and, interestingly, best new artist. 

Her nominations aren't a surprise to her loyal fans, who've been following her since she released her debut album "Lizzobangers" in 2013, and "Big Grrrl Small World" in 2015. And even though "Truth Hurts" is nominated for record and song of the year, among others, it was actually released in 2017 originally — and is only eligible because it was included on Lizzo's recent album "Cuz I Love You," released in April 2019. 

Considering she's been active in the industry since 2013, it's surprising that Lizzo is just now getting nominated — especially for awards like best new artist.

Meek Mill has released four albums and five EPs over the course of his career, but is just now being nominated for a Grammy.

Mill released his first album, "Dreams and Nightmares," in 2012, and has gone on to have a successful career as a rapper, despite being incarcerated for several years. 

Following his incarceration and release from prison, Mill has also become an outspoken activist, cofounding a criminal justice nonprofit with Jay-Z in 2018. Mill released his latest album, "Championships," in November 2018. 

Even though his work is critically acclaimed, and all of his albums are either certified gold or platinum by the RIAA, Mill's nomination for best rap album this year is his first. 

Maggie Rogers is also nominated for best new artist, but first went viral in 2016.

Rogers first gained popularity in 2016, after a clip of Pharrell Williams becoming visibly moved after listening to her song "Alaska" went viral — even though the singer had already released two albums and an EP.

Since then, Rogers has played sold-out shows across the US, and appeared on numerous late-night talk shows to promote her work. Considering her latest album, "Heard It in a Past Life," is her third, it's strange that she's just now getting a Grammy nomination — for best new artist. 

Billie Eilish released a successful and critically-acclaimed EP in 2017 — nearly two years before being nominated for numerous Grammys.

Eilish broke records with her numerous Grammy nominations, but the singer has been releasing music since 2016, when she was 14 years old. 

Eilish's 2016 single "Ocean Eyes" became a viral hit on SoundCloud when it was released that year, and she followed it up with her successful EP "Don't Smile At Me" in 2017.

Of course, Eilish's latest album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" is undoubtedly her biggest hit to date, but it's still worth noting that the singer has been making music for several years now, despite not earning any Grammy nominations before this year. 

Ty Dolla $ign is nominated, along with Skrillex and Boys Noize, for best dance recording.

The rapper has released several albums and a slew of singles throughout his career, but is only just now getting nominated for a Grammy. 

Recently, Ty Dolla $ign collaborated with rapper Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj for Megan's hit "Hot Girl Summer," released earlier this year. 

The Cranberries were a successful Irish rock band in the '90s and early 2000s, but have never been nominated for a Grammy until now.

The Irish rock band released five albums from 1993 to 2001, and another three from 2012 to 2019, after they reformed. Still, their nomination for best rock album at the 2020 Grammy Awards is their first. 

Tragically, the lead singer of the Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan, died in 2018. While she'd already recorded her vocals for the band's 2019 album "In the End," the remaining members decided to disband in the wake of her death — meaning that this is the first and last Grammy nomination for the Cranberries. 

Rosalía is nominated for best new artist, but has been a hit in her native Spain for several years now.

The Spanish singer has released two albums and countless singles in the last few years, and has even picked up some awards along the way, including five Latin Grammys, two in 2018 and two in 2019. 

However, despite her prolific output and recognition in her home country of Spain, this is the first Grammy nomination Rosalía has received. 

Gucci Mane released two successful albums in the eligibility period, but only received a nomination for his collaboration with Lizzo, "Exactly How I Feel."

Mane has spent over 15 years as a successful rapper, and has released 15 albums, seven EPs, and 84 singles throughout his career. However, his collaboration with Lizzo is the first project of his to earn him a Grammy nomination — for best R&B performance. 

• A top-quality cold brew coffee maker produces a large quantity of full-bodied and flavorful concentrate, is easy to use, and can withstand years of regular use.
• The OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker is our top pick because it will supply you with rich, delicious coffee at a low cost per cup. Plus, its sleek design stands amongst its somewhat clunky competitors. 

As the temperatures heat up, many of us put away our automatic drip coffee machines and turn to a cooler alternative. You can pick up some excellent cold brew concentrates at your local market or coffee shop. Or, for a fraction of the price and minimal effort, you can make your own using a cold brew coffee maker.

Even if the weather is freezing where you are, there are countless reasons why you might want to consider cold brew. The process produces a coffee that is less acidic and generally smoother. And, unlike hot-brewed coffee, you can store cold brew in the fridge for up to two weeks without a noticeable decline in flavor. Also, cold brew coffee makers do not require any electricity, so you can take it with you camping or just reduce your carbon footprint.

If you own a French press and are not sure if you want to invest in a cold brew coffee maker yet, you can try a test batch. Use 4 ounces of water for each ounce of coarse coffee grounds. After letting the mixture sit for 12 to 24 hours, put it through a cheesecloth or paper filter. If you like the results, you are sure to enjoy the concentrate produced by cold brew coffee makers, which are much easier to clean and use.

We should point out that these brewers produce a highly concentrated coffee. Therefore, you will want to dilute it with milk, water, or pour it over ice. As tempting as it may be, do not drink an entire carafe of the stuff. We've read enough horror stories.

While researching the best cold brew coffee makers, we looked at hundreds of ratings and reviews of countless cold brewers from both experts and buyers. The ones included in our guide are durable, user-friendly, and, most importantly, produce a cold brew concentrate that is smooth and full of flavor.

Here are the best cold brew coffee makers you can buy:

• Best overall: OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker
• Best no-hassle system: Toddy Cold Brew System
• Best on a budget: Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker
• Best for small kitchens: Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Iced Coffee Pot
• Best for a fast cold brew: Cuisinart Automatic Cold Brew Coffeemaker
• Best for rich flavor: Filtron Cold Water Coffee Concentrate Brewer 

Updated on 11/20/2019 by Caitlin Petreycik: Updated prices, links, and formatting. Added related guides. 

SEE ALSO: The best pour-over coffee gear you can buy

The best overall cold brew maker

The OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker brews smooth, balanced cold coffee, and its sleek design will perk up any countertop. 

There are a few features that set the OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker apart from the rest of the cold brewers on this list. First, there is a unique perforated "rainmaker" top that helps distribute the water evenly over the coffee grounds, which is key for optimal flavor extraction. Also, rather than using a stopper or plug at the bottom of the coffee bowl, there is a valve that is easy to turn on and off.

The OXO cold brew maker features a fine, stainless steel mesh filter that you can reuse, though you may still want to use a paper filter for easier cleanup. The carafe is made of borosilicate glass, which is quite resilient since it does not expand or contract like normal glass. The carafe is shaped like an Erlenmeyer flask, which is sure to appeal to science fans. Lastly, this OXO gadget can produce up to 32 ounces of cold brew at a time.

Insider Picks Senior Editor Malarie Gokey uses the OXO cold brew maker in her own kitchen every day during the hot summer months when hot coffee just isn't appealing. It's incredibly easy to use because you don't have to worry about any filters or small parts.

The simple design is incredibly smart. You just ensure that the release valve is locked, add the amount of coffee you want to use, pop the rainmaker top on, and pour the right amount of water over the grounds in a circular motion. The water will rain down on the grounds and get brewing.

In our tests, we let it brew for 12 to 24 hours, depending on the flavor we wanted. When it's done brewing, you just flip the release valve and watch the coffee pour down into the carafe. Perhaps best of all, OXO includes a secure stopper for the top of the carafe, so you can just pop it on and put the entire carafe in the fridge.

The machine turned out excellent cold brew every time we used it. It does take some trial and error to get the flavor you want, but OXO's guidelines give you a good idea of where to get started. We recommend experimenting with different kinds of coffee to see which flavors and strengths you like. We were particularly fond of a fruity Colombian blend a family friend gifted us because it almost tasted like chocolate milk when we made cold brew with it.

The machine is remarkably easy to clean after, too. You just scoop the grounds into the trash and rinse it out. The OXO cold brew machine makes brewing coffee an incredibly simple and effortless experience.

Other expert reviewers also rate the OXO machine highly. Wired, CNET, and The Wirecutter all recommend it. 

Pros: Stylish design, easy to store, convenient valve for pouring

Cons: Relatively expensive

The best no-hassle cold brew maker

The Toddy Cold Brew System has a long track record of providing a great balance of simplicity and flavor.

Cornell chemical engineer graduate Todd Simpson developed the Toddy Cold Brew Systemin 1964. The system includes a brewing container with a handle, two reusable filters, a rubber stopper, a glass decanter with a lid, a recipe guide, and instructions. The filters are designed to last for three months or up to 12 uses, whichever comes first.

Seattle Coffee Gear recommends the Toddy Cold Brew System because of its design and ease of use. The reviewer found that a single filter did an excellent job of trapping bitter acids for up to a dozen uses and liked the smooth taste of the concentrate.

Coffee Review tested the Toddy, and while the reviewer appreciated the simplicity of the system and the quality of the concentrate it produced, the writer would have liked it if the system came with a lid to keep out oxidation and dust. The reviewer also found that the filter was prone to clogging, but still recommended it as an affordable and dependable option. 

Pros: Easy to use, produces smooth-tasting cold brew

Cons: Doesn't have a lid, long-term durability concerns

The best budget cold brew maker

The Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker is a smart solution if you are on a budget and like your cold brew mild.

Although the Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker relies on the same cold-brewing principles as the other models we've covered, there are some basic differences. Up to 8 ounces of coffee grounds are added to the filter, which is then screwed into the pitcher, which holds 32 ounces of water. Rather than removing a plug or opening a valve to release the cold brew, you remove the filter and grounds from the water. This leaves you with a pitcher of cold brew concentrate.

Since the Takeya brewer uses half the grounds to produce the same amount of cold brew as the makers we've already mentioned, the resulting concentrate is decidedly weaker. Yet, this may not be a problem since most people dilute their cold brew anyway.

CNET tested the Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker and gave it high marks because it's easy to maintain, well-designed, and it performed well. The reviewer recommended this model for buyers who don't mind a weaker coffee. The Takeya coffee maker is also recommended by Consumer Search, Heavy, and The Inventory.

The Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker is the preferred cold brew maker of Insider Picks Guides Editor Les Shu. He likes the price, but it's the convenience that he appreciates: Simply dump the coffee grounds into the filter (a medium or dark roast ground coarse works best), add cold filtered water, place in the fridge overnight, and you have cold brew coffee waiting the next morning.

To counter the weakness that many reviewers mentioned, he strongly shakes the bottle for 30 seconds before placing it in the fridge — this is where the leak-proof cap comes in handy — which leads to a much stronger-tasting concentrate. Then, he lets it brew for at least 12 hours. The fine mesh of the built-in filter does a good job keeping the grounds from getting into the concentrate. The pitcher also makes it handy for pouring (pro tip: try making coffee ice cubes).

The filter can be a bit difficult to clean and over time, it will discolor and could take on the taste of a particular coffee. That being said, it's not a real issue for most people, and Takeya sells replacement filters.

Pros: Affordable, fits in your refrigerator door, does not require paper filters, easy to use

Cons: May not satisfy people who like strong coffee

The best for small kitchens

The Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Iced Coffee Pot has a sleek design that fits into your refrigerator door and produces cold-brewed coffee in just eight hours.

At first glance, the Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Iced Coffee Pot appears to be just like the Takeya brewer. They both use a process where the filter — full of coffee grounds — is removed from the water after steeping. However, the Hario Mizudashi has a filter that requires fewer grounds to fill (about 2.8 ounces). And, you slowly pour water over the grounds and stir the mixture to start the brewing process. The Hario maker has a glass container versus the plastic of the Takeya.

Hario recommends letting the coffee steep for eight hours, but our research found that this produces a weak concentration. Instead, for a stronger cup of joe, consider brewing the coffee for 12 to 24 hours, like most other cold brew coffee makers.

Oddly Correct recommends the Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Iced Coffee Pot because of how easy it is to use and the strength of the concentrate it produces. However, the reviewer was concerned about the long-term durability of the glass carafe and fine nylon mesh filter.

Coffee Detective likes the Hario Mizudashi for cold brew lovers who have a small kitchen. The reviewer likes the sleek design but found that the concentrate could have been stronger. 

There are complaints that the directions only came in Japanese. If you come across this issue, you can find English instructions on Hario's website.

Pros: Compact design, durable construction, easy to use, dishwasher safe, doesn't require paper filters

Cons: Produces somewhat weak concentrate

The best for fast cold brew

The Cuisinart Automatic Cold Brew Coffeemaker speeds up the cold brew process with a spinning chamber that agitates the coffee and the water.

The only real downside to cold brew is that it takes time. If you're impatient and never plan ahead, you may want to try a fast-brewing cold brew machine like this one from Cuisinart.

We tried it out at home, and though it didn't produce cold brew that was as aromatic and flavorful as our OXO, the coffee it did produce was still delicious and it was ready in just 25 to 45 minutes as opposed to 12 to 24 hours.

The machine is easy to use, though it does require electricity. You simply add ground coffee to the filter basket and fill the water tank with cold or room temperature water. It will take some time to figure out how much water and coffee you want to use, but Cuisinart has very clear guidelines that worked well enough for our tastes.

The machine has three different coffee strengths, each of which corresponds to a different brew time: mild (25 minutes), medium (35 minutes), and bold (45 minutes). Once you've chosen your strength, you press "brew" to begin. The coffee filter basket spins to agitate the grounds and the water and speed up the extraction process.

Once it's done brewing, you slide the lever to the release the coffee into the carafe below. The carafe also has a filter top, so you shouldn't get too much sediment in your cup, though you will see some as you reach the end of the carafe. Some people hate this and say it tastes "dirty," but others don't seem to mind.

We thought the Cuisinart Cold Brew Coffeemaker did best on the bold setting, which makes sense because it's the longest period of extraction. Keep in mind that it's not true cold brew because you simply can't beat a good, long extraction time with this type of brewing. Still, for cold brew in less than an hour, this is the best machine you can buy.

The main concern we had was that the machine has moving parts, so it is more at risk of breaking than the other cold brew makers we recommend, all of which require no electricity.  — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Fast brewing process, easy to use, effective, good flavor

Cons: Moving parts risk failure, needs electricity, cold brew purists may not like the speedy extraction time

The best for rich flavor

The Filtron Cold Water Coffee Concentrate Brewer produces remarkably rich, sediment-free cold brew, thanks to its multi-chamber filter system. 

What sets the Filtron Cold Water Coffee Concentrate Brewer apart from other brewing systems is its use of a water bowl. This system evenly saturates the coffee grounds to draw out the flavors of the beans and make delicious coffee.

To use the brewer, you first plug the bottom of the coffee bowl and insert the reusable sealed filter. For easy cleanup, insert a large coffee filter on top of that and fill it with up to a pound of ground coffee. Next, place the plastic guard on the coffee and put the water bowl on top. You then fill the water bowl to the appropriate level and let the coffee steep for 12 to 24 hours. Lastly, you place the setup over the 1.5-liter carafe and pull the plug.

We admit, the Filtron requires a bit of work, but you'll be rewarded with great tasting cold brew coffee for the effort.

The Filtron Brewer comes with two sample paper filters and a measuring cup. One unique and somewhat irritating feature is that the reusable filter pad must be stored in the refrigerator in water to stave off mold.

Product reviewers and buyers alike agree that this cold brew coffee maker is excellent. CNET praises the Filtron Cold Water Coffee Concentrate Brewer because of the rich and delicious quality of the coffee it produces. As for downsides, the reviewer found that the Filtron was more difficult to use than others because of the multi-chamber filter. Still, the reviewer recommends it as an affordable, effective cold brew option.

Of the half-dozen cold brew systems The Wirecutter tested, the Filtron brewer consistently supplied the best-tasting concentrate. The reviewer also found that the brewer produced the least expensive cold brew per cup. However, the writer noted that it is more cumbersome to replenish its supplies and to store it. Wired thought the Filtron "makes rich, full-bodied cold-brewed coffee that has the least sediment of any product" it tested, but like CNET's review, it found the process a bit involved.

An important perk: you don't need to buy Filtron-specific filters. Standard large coffee filters work fine with this cold brew maker. 

Pros: Takes many different filters, produces rich and delicious coffee at a low cost per cup

Cons: Hard to store, difficult to use at first

Check out our other great coffee maker buying guides

The best stovetop espresso machines 

Stovetop espresso makers (also known as moka pots) are easy to use, make excellent strong espresso-like coffee, and last for decades. The Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Maker has been around since 1933, and it is still the best stovetop espresso maker you can buy to make strong, delicious coffee right at home. That being said, maybe you want an electric espresso maker, or something more design-forward. Check out our full list of the best stovetop espresso machines you can buy: 

• Best overall: Bialetti 6-Cup Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Maker
• Best for gas stoves: GROSCHE Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker
• Best luxury moka pot: Cuisinox Roma 6-Cup Stainless Steel Stovetop Espresso Maker
• Best affordable moka pot: Bialetti Kitty Espresso Coffee Maker
• Best espresso-esque shots: Bialetti Mini Express Espresso Maker
• Best-looking moka pot: 6-Cup Alessi Pulcina Stovetop Espresso Maker
• Best electric moka pot: Delonghi EMK6 Alicia Electric Moka Espresso Coffee Maker

The best pour-over coffee gear

Pour-over coffee is having a renaissance. Some baristas and coffee enthusiasts make the pour-over method look painstaking, but it's actually quite easy once you get the steps down. While you just need a cone, a filter, and a mug to get started, if you're serious about your coffee, then you're going to want some other gear to complete your pour-over kit. That's why we rounded up a few must-have accessories. Here is the best pour-over coffee gear you can buy: 

• Best pour-over cone: Kalita Ceramic Coffee Dripper
• Best pour-over coffee server: Hario V60 Glass Server
• Best pour-over cone and carafe combo: Bodum Pour-Over Coffee Maker With Permanent Filter
• Best pour-over kettle: Fino Pour-Over Coffee Kettle
• Best digital scale and timer: Drita Nourish Digital Scale and Timer

The best French Presses

You can brew coffee in a number of ways, but many caffeine addicts swear by the French Press method. Of all the French Presses we researched, these are our favorites:

• Best high-end: Frieling Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker
• Best affordable: Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker
• Best affordable stainless steel: SterlingPro Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press
• Best travel-friendly: Bodum Stainless-Steel Travel French Press Mug

• There are currently 17 candidates vying for the Democratic presidential nomination — and they all come from markedly different financial backgrounds. 
• The net worth of 2020 candidates ranges from Mayor Pete Buttigieg, whose net worth was estimated at around $100,000, to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is worth an estimated $52.4 billion.
• Here's everything we know about the net worth and personal finances of every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

There are currently 17 candidates vying for the Democratic presidential nomination — and they all come from markedly different financial backgrounds.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is estimated to be worth about $100,000, gave up a comfortable consulting job for a life in public service. He and his husband have been also been open about being among the ranks of millennials still paying off student loan debt. 

Other contenders, like billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are extraordinarily wealthy billionaires from success in the private sector. And most other candidates fall somewhere in between. 

The Democratic candidates who have recently run for federal office or served in Congress or another federal government position have filed personal financial disclosure forms listing their assets and liabilities.

But because members are only required to report those figures in wide ranges, we don't know the exact net worth of most of the candidates.

And for others who haven't recently filed any formal financial disclosures or released tax returns, we only have limited information about their salaries and assets.

Here's everything we know about the net worth and personal finances of every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, thanks to data collected by Forbes, the Center for Public Integrity and the Center for Responsive Politics.

SEE ALSO: The Obamas are worth 30 times more than when they entered the White House in 2008 — here's how they spend their millions

SEE ALSO: How to calculate your net worth so you can track your financial progress

South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg left a comfortable job at McKinsey & Company to serve in the US Naval Reserves. He now earns an annual salary of $104,000, and has an estimated net worth of $100,000, according to Forbes.

Sources: Indy Star, Center for Public Integrity, Forbes

Read more about Pete Buttigieg's campaign

In 2015, the Center for Responsive Politics estimated that Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii had a net worth of $208,504. More recently, Forbes has placed her net worth at $500,000.

Sources: Center for Responsive Politics, Forbes

Read more about Tulsi Gabbard's campaign.

According to former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro's January 2017 financial disclosures, he and his family have between $138,000 and $470,000 in assets. Forbes places his net worth at $700,000.

Sources: Center for Public Integrity, Forbes

Read more about Julian Castro's campaign.

Andrew Yang's 2016 tax returns showed he earned an annual salary of $285,000 as CEO of Venture for America. Forbes estimates he's worth about $1 million.

Sources: Center for Public Integrity, Forbes

Read more about Andrew Yang's campaign.

When spiritual guru, self-help author, and Oprah Winfrey pal Marianne Williamson first ran for Congress in 2014, her personal disclosure revealed assets worth $957,000 to $4.5 million. Now, Forbes places her net worth at about $1.5 million.

Sources: Center for Public Integrity,Forbes

Read more about Marianne Williamson's campaign.

Sen. Cory Booker's most recent financial disclosures place his net worth between $600,000 and $1.3 million. Forbes estimates that between the value of his house and investments, he's worth about $1.5 million.

Sources: OpenSecrets, Forbes

Read more about Cory Booker's campaign.

According to tax returns released in 2016, Gov. Steve Bullock and his wife earned $1.6 million between 2005 and 2014. Forbes estimates he's worth about $1.5 million.

Sources: Great Falls Tribune, Forbes

Read more about Steve Bullock's campaign.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar's 2018 financial disclosures place her net worth somewhere between $836,000 and $1.9 million.

Source: Center for Public Integrity 

Read more about Amy Klobuchar's campaign.

Sen. Bernie Sanders earned more than $2 million from book sales in 2016 and 2017 alone and reported a little over $560,000 in income in 2018. Forbes places his and his wife Jane Sanders' net worth at $2.5 million.

Sources: Business Insider, New York Times, Forbes

Read more about Bernie Sanders' campaign.

Sen. Kamala Harris of California and her husband Doug Emhoff — a high-powered entertainment lawyer — are estimated to be worth $6 million by Forbes.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, Forbes

Read more about Kamala Harris' campaign.

Former Congressman Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, who spent 31 years serving in the Navy and one term in the House, is worth $6 million, according to Forbes.

Sources: OpenSecrets, Forbes

Read more about Joe Sestak's campaign.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden earned $15.6 million in income between 2017 and 2018 from book royalties and paid speaking engagements, according to financial disclosures. Forbes estimates their net worth at $9 million.

Sources: OpenSecrets, Bloomberg, Forbes

Read more about Joe Biden's campaign.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren's 2017 financial disclosures placed her net worth between $4.6 and $10.6 million. Now, Forbes places her and her husband Bruce Mann's combined net worth from the value of their properties and retirement accounts at $12 million.

Sources:Center for Public Integrity, Forbes

Read more about Elizabeth Warren's campaign.

Sen. Michael Bennet made himself a fortune working as a top executive at the Anschutz Company before going into public service, and is estimated to be worth $15 million.

Sources: OpenSecrets, Forbes

Read more about Michael Bennet's campaign.

Rep. John Delaney was ranked the 3rd wealthiest member of the House of Representatives in 2015, with an estimated net worth of over $232 million.

Sources: Center for Public Integrity, OpenSecrets

Read more about John Delaney's campaign .

Democratic activist Tom Steyer made a fortune managing a hedge fund, Farallon Capital, for over two decades. As of 2019, Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.6 billion.

Source: Forbes

Read more about Tom Steyer's campaign.

Michael Bloomberg, the eighth-wealthiest individual in the United States, is worth an estimated $52.4 billion.

Source: Business Insider

Read more about Michael Bloomberg's campaign.

Read more: 

Michael Bloomberg is reportedly planning to run for president. Here's how the 8th-richest person in the US and former NYC mayor makes and spends his $52 billion fortune.

Elizabeth Warren and her husband are worth an estimated $12 million. Here's a look at the lifestyle, finances, and real-estate portfolio of one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates.

Bernie Sanders has made more than $1.75 million from book royalties since 2016 — here's what we know about his wealth and assets

• Ten candidates have qualified for the fifth Democratic primary debate hosted by MSNBC and the Washington Post tonight, November 20 in Atlanta, Georgia. 
• Candidates needed both 165,000 individual donors and to earn either 3% in four DNC-approved national polls or 5% in two approved early-state polls, leaving some candidates off the stage. 
• Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke dropped out of the race on November 1 after failing to qualify for the November debate and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro attained zero polls, meaning he'll also miss the stage.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Ten candidates have qualified for tonight's fifth Democratic primary debate on November 20, which will be hosted by MSNBC and the Washington Post in Atlanta, Georgia. 

In order to qualify for the November debate, candidates needed both 165,000 individual donors and to earn either 3% in four DNC-approved national polls or 5% in two approved early-state polls from Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, or Nevada. 

Polls released between September 13 and November 13 — the week before the debate — counted towards qualification. 

So far, ten candidates have met both requirements, according to Politico's Democratic primary poll tracker. 

But the stricter polling requirements leaft some mid-tier candidates who easily qualified for the September and October debates completely off the stage. 

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke dropped out of the race on November 1 after failing to qualify for the November debate and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro attained zero polls, meaning he'll also miss the stage. Castro recently threatened to drop out of the race altogether if he doesn't raise $800,000 by Halloween.  

SEE ALSO: Here's everyone who's running for president in 2020, and who has quit the race

Sen. Kamala Harris

Read more about Kamala Harris' campaign. 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Read more about Amy Klobuchar's campaign. 

Andrew Yang

Read more about Andrew Yang's campaign.

Sen. Cory Booker

Read more about Cory Booker's campaign.

Tom Steyer

Read more about Tom Steyer's campaign.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Read more about Pete Buttigieg's campaign.

Sen. Kamala Harris

Read more about Kamala Harris' campaign.

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Read more about Bernie Sanders' campaign.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Read more about Elizabeth Warren's campaign.

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Read more about Joe Biden's campaign.

Read more:

Here's who will be onstage for the November Democratic debate hosted by MSNBC and the Washington Post, what time it'll start, and how to watch

If Joe Biden drops out of the 2020 race, Elizabeth Warren would likely be the big winner, not Pete Buttigieg

The Democratic elite is panicked about Joe Biden, but he's far more popular with voters than donors

• Black Friday falls on November 29, 2019, but eBay's Black Friday deals are already in full swing. 
• Now through December 13, eBay is launching limited-time Black Friday deals every Friday with major savings on new and trending products.
• The Friday Drops will include popular items like the Nintendo Switch Lite, iPhone 11, Ray-Ban sunglasses, KitchenAid stand mixers, and more.
• You can potentially save even with more with eBay coupons, and visit Business Insider Coupons for more Black Friday deals across the web.

Black Friday falls on November 29 this year, but if you're looking for great deals on gifts or items for yourself, you won't have to wait until after Thanksgiving to find them. Online marketplace eBay is rolling out a bunch of amazing deals every Friday up until Black Friday — and for a few weeks after.

Now until December 13, eBay will launch "Friday Drops" on new and trending items at hard-to-beat prices. The specific prices are unveiled on the date of each sale, and we'll be updating the pricing information here to make it easy to shop.

Here is eBay's Black Friday deals schedule:

November 15:

• Big savings on the Nintendo Switch Lite, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield games

November 22: 

• More than $45 off an Unlocked Apple iPhone 11 128GB

November 29 (Black Friday):

• Major savings on tech, appliances, home goods, fashion, and more.

December 6:

• More than 40% off Ray-Ban sunglasses

December 13:

• More than 40% off the KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Ten-Speed Countertop Stand Mixer

Keep in mind that this is only some of what you can expect. There will be plenty of other deals on everything from tech and electronics to home goods, apparel, and accessories. 

Check out the 10 best early Black Friday deals available now:

• Samsonite Pivot 3-Piece Luggage Set
• Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
• Samsung 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV 2019 Model
• Razor E100 Motorized Electric Scooter
• Adidas Originals Kamanda
• Audi TT RS electric kids' car
• Cuisinart 15-Piece Graphix Collection Cutlery Set
• Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses
• HP Pavilion 15.6-Inch 256GB Gaming Laptop
• Nautica Blue 3.4-ounce Eau de Toilette Cologne

1. Samsonite Pivot 3-Piece Luggage Set

$189.99 (Originally $820) [You save $630.01]

If you have big plans to travel in 2020, this three-piece luggage set by Samsonite is exactly what you might need to prepare for all your trips, no matter how long or short they are. The set includes 20-inch, 25-inch, and 29-inch hard shell suitcases. 

2. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

$219.99 (Originally $399.99) [You save $180]

Dyson isn't only known for its vacuum cleaners.

The brand's Supersonic hairdryer is extremely popular among hairstylists as it prevents extreme heat damage and protects your hair's natural shine while efficiently drying quicker than other blow dryers.

As an early Black Friday deal, you can save $180 on a refurbished unit. All refurbished units have been tested to perform like new and comes with a 12-month Dyson Official guarantee. 

Read our review of the Supersonic in our guide to the best hair dryers.

3. Samsung 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV 2019 Model

$325 (Originally $799.95) [You save $474.95]

Every home theater or living room should have an Ultra HD TV and now is the perfect time to upgrade.

This 50-inch Samsung Smart TV features a brilliant 4K resolution, Wi-Fi, and all your favorite streaming apps. This is also the 2019 model, so you're getting the latest version of the TV at a steep discount.

4. Razor E100 Motorized Electric Scooter

$139.99 (Originally $199.99) [You save $60]

Who wouldn't want an electric scooter for the holidays? The Razor E100 Scooter is a fun and way for kids and adults like to cruise around the neighborhood and with a top speed of 10 miles per hour, it's got enough power for those with a need for speed. With eight different colors to choose from, you'll be able to find an e-scooter in your favorite color.

5. Adidas Originals Kamanda

$50.99 (Originally $130) [You save $79.01]

Pulled straight from Adidas' vaults, the Kamanda is a 1980s design experiment that never saw the light of day until recently.

Inspired by soccer culture, the shoes have a soft nubuck upper and a textured rubber outsole that extends up the sides of the shoes. Available in white and grey colors, these are a nice pair of sneakers to add to any collection. 

8. Audi TT RS electric car

$129.99 (Originally $263.99) [You save $134]

Modeled after the Audi TT RS supercar, this 6-volt electric car will have your little ones riding in style.

The realistic design features LED headlights, a built-in horn, and an AUX outlet to listen to music while driving. You can let your kids drive manually or you can control the car via remote control. 

6. Cuisinart 15-Piece Graphix Collection Cutlery Set

$39.99 (Originally $99.99) [You save $60]

Dull knives are both unsafe and a huge hassle to use in the kitchen. Rather than dealing with worn-out knives, this 15-piece cutlery set from Cuisinart is a worthwhile upgrade.

It includes a chef's knife, slicing knife, santoku knife, serrated utility knife, paring knife, bird's beak paring knife, six steak knives, a sharpening steel, all-purpose household shears, and a storage block for organization.

7. Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses

$59.99 (Originally $180) [You save $120.01]

Ray-Ban Wayfarers are one of the most recognizable and classic sunglasses styles you can wear and at more than 65% off, this is one Black Friday deal you don't want to pass up. The black plastic frame comes fitted with crystal-green UV-blocking lenses.

9. HP Pavilion 15.6-Inch 256GB Gaming Laptop

$429.99 (Originally $679.99) [You save $250]

Having a powerful computer is imperative to PC gaming and this laptop from HP Pavilion has everything you need for top performance in the virtual world. It features a 15.6-inch full HD screen, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage space, and backlit keyboard.

10. Nautica Blue 3.4-ounce Eau de Toilette Cologne

$9.55 (Originally $65) [You save $55.45]

Nautica Blue has a fresh aquatic scent that most people regardless of gender will find appealing and as an eau de toilette, it isn't too overpowering like some eau de parfums. 

eBay Black Friday 2019 FAQs:

What's eBay's return policy during retail holidays?

Return policies on eBay differ for each seller or item. Be sure to check the listing for the specific return policy on the item you're purchasing.

What's eBay's shipping policy during Black Friday?

Early Black Friday deals and all other items listed on the Deals page on eBay will ship for free. In total, 72% of all items listed on eBay ship for free in the US, UK, and Germany.

See more Black Friday sales and deals

• The absolute best Black Friday deals of 2019
• The best tech deals of Black Friday 2019
• Kohl's Black Friday deals 2019
• Amazon Black Friday deals 2019
• Walmart Black Friday deals 2019
• Target Black Friday deals 2019
• The best mattress deals on Black Friday 2019
• Is Black Friday or Cyber Monday better?

• As 2019 comes to a close, it's time we looked back on the food and drink items that captured the national spotlight over the last year.
• Hard seltzer isn't a new product, but it became the unofficial drink of the summer in 2019. 
• Insect protein, meat alternatives, and natural wine dominated the food industry in 2019.  
• Oat milk was such a popular milk substitute that there were shortages around the country.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Bubble teas had another stellar year, and are dominating the grab-and-go market.

Bubble teas, or teas and drinks filled with tapioca balls known as boba, have become the drink of choice for many across the country. Alcoholic New York City boba store Bubbleology even features boba cocktails with fun names including The Majestic Butterfly and The Blushing Duchess. 

Kombucha was another popular drink in 2019, with more and more brands hitting shelves across the country.

Though all kombucha technically contains alcohol, most traditional kombucha contains so little that getting drunk off of it is nearly impossible. However, more and more companies have started putting a boozy spin on the drink by releasing kombucha with as much as 7% ABV. 

Meat substitute companies including Impossible Foods and Beyond Meats swept the nation, as consumers look for more environmentally friendly protein options.

The meatless meat craze has become so popular among fast-food brands that Burger King is testing three new Impossible burgers at 180 locations across the United States.

Non-alcoholic beer and "mocktails," or non-alcoholic cocktails, are becoming more popular as many Americans are becoming "sober-curious."

Mocktail bars such as Getaway are popping up all over the country to quench the thirst of customers looking for a way to socialize at the bar without drinking alcohol. Non-alcoholic beers, such as Heineken's 0.0, are also making a splash. 

The Aperol Spritz was the talk of the town all summer.

The Aperol Spritz— a cocktail made with Aperol, prosecco, and seltzer — exploded onto the scene this summer due to its easy-drinking feel and slightly bitter taste. It was also divisive— even scoring an article bashing it in The New York Times. 

CBD gummies and food infusions were all the rage this year among people in the wellness industry.

While the mellowing, non-psychoactive compound is a hot additive right now, it might not be that way for long. Restaurants such as by CHLOE. and Fresh&Co used to have entire sections of their menus devoted to CBD — at by CHLOE., it was called "Feelz"— but have since removed them due to the CBD ban in New York City. 

Oat milk was such a popular milk substitute that there were shortages around the country.

Shortages of the popular milk alternative rocked coffeehouses around the country, and clever marketing techniques made oat milk the top choice for non-dairy drinkers. 

Insects have long been popular in areas such as Mexico and South America, but large companies are now turning to insects as a meat alternative.

Restaurants and supermarkets around the world are already serving up edible insects, making the category increasingly attractive to food industry giants such as Nestle, PepsiCo, and Tyson, according to Business Insider. 

Natural wine, a broad term for wines that are produced with minimal intervention from the winemaker, has become a popular drink option.

Natural wine is known for often having a "funky," or "farmhouse" quality — a result of the unique fermentation process the bottles go through. 

Spiked seltzers like White Claw and Truly went viral in 2019.

Spiked seltzers have been around for a while, but they became the unofficial drink of the summer in 2019. 

While brands like White Claw and Truly seem to be the go-to choice, Natural Light, Smirnoff, and Four Loko seltzers also hit store shelves.

• President Donald Trump's favorite news channel has been, for the longest time, Fox News. But cracks have begun to emerge this year.
• Fox News' opinion hosts, like Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson, usually support Trump, but the channel's independent news division and polling system aren't beholden to his whims.
• More and more, when Trump doesn't like what he sees, he's prone to lashing out in a very public way, usually with a storm of fiery tweets.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump values loyalty.

He expects it from his allies, his employees, and his supporters. When he doesn't get it, or feels disrespected, he's prone to lashing out in public, usually via Twitter.

Fox News, Trump's favorite news channel, was part of what propelled him to victory in 2016. His frequent appearances won over the hosts of "Fox & Friends" in the mornings and the opinion programs during primetime.

But as Trump has come under scrutiny for pressuring a foreign government to investigate his rival, the president hasn't received blind loyalty from his preferred network. While Fox News' opinion hosts still stand behind Trump, its news division and its polls are independent.

In the last year, and particularly as the impeachment inquiry has heated up, Trump has regularly let the news channel know, usually through Twitter, when he doesn't like what an anchor says, who a particular guest is, or what their polling concluded.

Here are all the times the president has criticized Fox News. The network didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

SEE ALSO: 21 people who have gone through the revolving door between Fox and the Trump administration

DON'T MISS: Trump bashed Fox News' Chris Wallace, saying he'd 'never be his father,' after Steve Scalise's contentious interview

Trump has had a flourishing relationship with Fox News. The news channel touted him as a potential presidential candidate long before he announced he was running. And since becoming president, he's appeared on the news channel more than 40 times. In contrast, since taking office, he's never appeared on CNN.

Sources: The New Yorker, Politico, USA Today

The first flare-up with Fox News came during the network's presidential debate during the 2016 election. When former anchor Megyn Kelly asked him about sexist comments he'd made, Trump took it personally. He went on a prolonged attack against Kelly, calling her sick and overrated. Fox News even released a statement about it, saying he had an "extreme, sick obsession," with her that was "beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate."

Sources: Politico, Business Insider, Twitter

Things have become more strained in 2019. In January, Trump attacked Fox News correspondents John Roberts and Gillian Turner. He said they had less understanding about "the wall negotiations," than reporters at CNN and NBC, two media institutions Trump is not fond of.

Source: USA Today

In March, he attacked Fox News anchors Arthel Neville and Leland Vittert, asking on Twitter if they had been trained by CNN, and saying they and Shepard Smith should work there instead. But it wasn't clear why he was criticizing them, because Fox News was playing a rerun of "Fox News Sunday" at the time of the tweets, which those anchors weren't on.

Sources: Deadline,The Hill

In April, he criticized the decision to host a town hall with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. He tweeted that it was "so weird," to watch Sanders on Fox News, adding that it wasn't surprising to see the audience and Fox News anchor Bret Baier being so "smiley and nice."

Source: Vox

In May, he criticized Fox News for doing the same again with Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Trump tweeted, "Hard to believe @FoxNews is wasting airtime on Mayor Pete, as Chris Wallace likes to call him. Fox is moving more and more to the losing (wrong) side in covering Dems."

Source: Politico

In May, he also retweeted a tweet that criticized Fox News' legal analyst Andrew Napolitano, saying he had made multiple incorrect statements, and called for him to be taken off the air. It came in response to Napolitano calling Trump "immoral" and "repellent."

Source: The Daily Beast

In June, Trump tweeted, "something weird going on at Fox," in response to a poll the network released, which showed him trailing five Democrat candidates in a hypothetical presidential match-up. He said polls were always bad for him.

Sources: Politico, The Hill

On July 7, Trump attacked Fox News' weekend anchors, saying they were worse than CNN, or "lyin' Brian Williams," because Democrats were appearing on their shows.

Source: Politico

Later that day, he criticized Fox News for hiring Donna Brazile, a former CNN analyst and head of the Democratic National Committee. He tweeted that it was impossible to believe they had hired her, after she was fired by CNN, "for giving Crooked Hillary Clinton the questions to a debate."

Source: Politico

And finally, at the end of a busy day of Twitter, he tweeted that Fox News had "forgot the people who got them there."

Sources: Politico, The Hill

On August 7, he declared he even preferred to watch "Fake News CNN" over Fox anchor Shepard Smith, which could be one of Trump's harshest insults.

Source: The New York Times

On August 15, a Fox News poll had him sitting below 40% for preferred president. Three days later he told reporters, "Fox has changed. And my worst polls have always been from Fox. There's something going on at Fox, I'll tell you right now. And I'm not happy with it."

Source: Vox

On August 18, Trump attacked Democrat Juan Williams, who is one of the hosts on "The Five," calling him "pathetic,""nasty" and "wrong."

Source: Vox

On August 28, he criticized Fox News' Sandra Smith for what he considered "heavily promoting," the Democratic party, and giving "zero pushback" in an interview with Democratic National Committee communications director Xochitl Hinojosa. In those tweets he also managed to criticize Donna Brazile, Juan Williams, and Shep Smith.

Source: Vox

That same day he tweeted, "I don't want to Win for myself, I only want to Win for the people. The New FoxNews is letting millions of GREAT people down! We have to start looking for a new News Outlet. Fox isn't working for us anymore!"

Sources: Twitter, Vox

In late September, Trump took aim at Fox News' Ed Henry, who was interviewing conservative radio host Mark Levin. In 23 minutes, the president fired off or retweeted 23 tweets, several of which mentioned Henry should have been working at CNN.

Sources: Washington Post, Politico

On October 10, after Fox News released a poll that said 51% of voters wanted Trump impeached, Trump tweeted he had never had a good Fox News poll, and that the pollster "suck[ed]." He also returned to a familiar theme — that the news channel had changed. He said it was, "much different than it used to be in the good old days."

Source: Twitter

In November, Trump took on "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace, after Wallace interviewed Rep. Steve Scalise. Trump tweeted that Wallace was "nasty and obnoxious." And sticking to his nostalgia for a better Fox News, the president said the "dumb and unfair interview," would never have happened in the past.

Source: Business Insider

• NBA City jerseys are back.
• Between leaks and official releases, we've gotten a glimpse of almost every NBA franchise's alternate jerseys.
• Check out photos of each team's threads below:
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Atlanta Hawks' 2019-2020 City threads pay homage to "The Peach State."

It appears as though the Boston Celtics leaned into their Irish roots with their latest jerseys.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1188879926579093507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Enes Kanter posted some new-look Celtics jerseys to his IG story.

Thoughts? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/d5aINNAydo

While the Brooklyn Nets have yet to release their City jerseys and no photos have been leaked, it appears as though the team's 2019-2020 City jerseys will pay homage to Brooklyn native The Notorious B.I.G.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1196827949258985472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
"To me, Christopher is Brooklyn." -Voletta Wallace

𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐵𝑒𝑑𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑑-𝑆𝑡𝑢𝑦𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑡... pic.twitter.com/yyRXgCqOy4

The Chicago Bulls went with the Bull logo, baby blue primary color, and red lining for their City unis.

A leak of the Cleveland Cavaliers' City threads shows a unique "Cle" design with stripes along the sides.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1196932805168652289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
👀 pic.twitter.com/CJeerVqjco

The Dallas Mavericks are throwing it back to the '90s with their new jerseys.

The Denver Nuggets' existing rainbow skyline design pops a bit more on this year's black base.

The Detroit Pistons' new look is somewhat reminiscent of FC Barcelona jerseys.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1196573215348461568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Were these announced, or did I catch Champs slippin? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/7QuPYJoF0Z

The Golden State Warriors opted for a black and blue version of their classic City threads.

The Rockets' City jerseys are inspired by Houston's connection to NASA.

The Los Angeles Clippers channeled a newspaper-esque typeface for their City jerseys.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1184106683246764032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The @LAClippers unveil their new City Edition uniforms on the cover of SI 👀 https://t.co/7pyGtSQNaipic.twitter.com/hf7Rh14TYd

A leaked photo of the Los Angeles Lakers' version, meanwhile, shows block letters and white stars down the sides.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1196940306572283906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Leaked image of the Lakers' new City Edition jersey

(h/t @EtienneCatalan@tacojayfor3 ) pic.twitter.com/beoiOthH3P

The Miami Heat are sticking with their Vice jerseys but swapping out the black base for a powder blue version.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1182695247400361984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
ICYMI: Multiple sources indicate that this will be the Heat's latest Miami Vice jersey. (h/t @HitTheGlass) pic.twitter.com/mKHfVlfqJH

The Milwaukee Bucks are leaning into their "Cream City" moniker for their new unis.

Like a number of other teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves are also going with baby blue for their City jerseys this year.

The Thunder's City jerseys were designed to honor those killed in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City 25 years ago.

The Orlando Magic drew on the Sunshine State's citrus fields for its City threads.

The Sixers opted for a classic callback to Philadelphia's constitutional roots.

Phoenix went with Spanish "Los Suns" and "Somos PHX" jerseys.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1197171695376879616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
.@Suns City Edition jersey goes español with "Los Suns" and "Somos PHX."pic.twitter.com/sM2hbPoaWG

The Portland Trail Blazers went for a redesign of their well-worn "ripcity" uniforms.

The Sacramento Kings are switching it up from their usual purple and white colors to a deep red.

The reigning champion Toronto Raptors went with black and gold threads for their City jerseys.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1197014670110015488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Leaked Toronto Raptors City Edition Jerseys 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Vk5b6jIVv2

The Utah Jazz are sticking with their red, orange, and yellow City jerseys from the past two seasons.

The Washington Wizards brought back their stars and stripes jerseys for the City rollout.

Now check out the highest-paid coaches in college football:

25 highest-paid college football coaches

• The 2020 Democratic primary field is one of the most diverse in history in terms of age.
• Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 37 and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, 38 are all attempting to overtake Teddy Roosevelt's status as America's youngest president. 
• President Donald Trump holds the title of oldest president in history, taking office at 70 years and 220 days old. Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Bernie Sanders could all break his record if elected. 
• Here are the ages of 2020 Democratic candidates, and how old they would be upon taking office on Inauguration Day 2021. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former Vice President and US Senator Joe Biden turns 77 on November 20, 2019.

Biden, who initially served as a county executive in Delaware in 1970 before being elected to the Senate in 1972, has been in elected office longer than eight of his fellow Democratic primary contenders have been alive.

The 2020 field is one of the most diverse in history in terms of age, which has become a focal point for 2020 Democrats. 37-year-old Mayor Pete Buttigieg, for example, is partially centering his campaign around the theme of intergenerational justice, arguing a new generation of leadership can solve the problems facing America. 

The US constitution mandates that a candidate must be 35 years of age to be eligible for the presidency. The youngest-ever president was Theodore Roosevelt, who took office at 42 years and 322 days old in 1901.

Buttigieg, 37 and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard 38, are both attempting to overtake Roosevelt's record as America's youngest president. 

President Donald Trump holds the title of oldest president in history, taking office at 70 years and 220 days old.

But three of the top candidates in the Democratic primary field could break his record.

Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren would be the oldest presidents in history if elected, hypothetically taking office at ages 78, 79, and 71, respectively.

Here's a breakdown of the 2020 Democrats' age and how old they would be at a potential inauguration.

SEE ALSO: POWER RANKING: Here's who has the best chance of becoming the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee

Mayor Pete Buttigieg is currently 37, and would be 39 years and 1 day old upon taking office.

Read more about Pete Buttigieg's campaign. 

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is currently 38 years old, and would be 39 years and 283 days old upon taking office.

Read more about Tulsi Gabbard's campaign.

Andrew Yang is currently 44 years old, and would be 46 years and 7 days old on Inauguration Day.

Read more about Andrew Yang's campaign.

Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro is currently 45 years old, and would be 46 years old and 126 days upon taking office.

Read more about Julian Castro's campaign.

Sen. Cory Booker is 50 years old. If elected, he would be 51 years old and 268 days when assuming office.

Read more about Cory Booker's campaign.

Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana is 53. He would be 54 years and 284 days old on Inauguration Day.

Read more about Steve Bullock's campaign. 

Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado is 54. He would be 56 years and 53 days old upon taking office.

Read more about Michael Bennet's campaign.

Sen. Kamala Harris is 55 years old, and would be 56 years and 92 days old upon taking office.

Read more about Kamala Harris' campaign.

Rep. John Delaney is 56, and would be 57 years and 249 days old when taking office.

Read more about John Delaney's campaign.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar is 59. She would be 60 years old and 240 days old on Inauguration Day.

Read more about Amy Klobuchar's campaign.

Billionaire activist Tom Steyer is 62 years old. He would be 63 years and 207 days old on Inauguration Day.

Read more about Tom Steyer's campaign.

Former Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts is currently 63 years old. He would be 64 years and 173 days upon taking office.

Read more about Deval Patrick's campaign.

Marianne Williamson is 67 years old, and would be 68 years and 196 days upon taking office.

Read more about Marianne Williamson's campaign.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is currently 70. She would be 71 years and 212 days upon taking office in 2021.

Read more about Elizabeth Warren's campaign.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is 77 now, and would be 78 years and 61 days old on Inauguration Day 2021.

Read more about Joe Biden's campaign.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City is also 77 years old. He would be 78 years and 341 days old upon taking office.

Read more about Michael Bloomberg's campaign.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is currently 78. He would be 79 years and 134 days old upon assuming office.

Read more about Bernie Sanders' campaign.

Read more:

Democrats are clashing over how to fix US health care. Here are the 7 key terms you need to know.

Obama indirectly rebukes Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren by warning donors not to be 'deluded' into thinking voters want radical change

Here's everything we know about the net worth and personal finances of each 2020 Democratic presidential candidate

• The name Alexa is synonymous with the term smart speaker because Amazon's Echo is the best one you can buy.
• Amazon has lots of Echos now, but its new Echois the best choice for most people.
• It's more compact than the original Echo, costs less, and has an auxiliary port to physically connect to a better sounding speaker.

Amazon's Echo was the first smart speaker to find its way into millions of people's homes. Since the original Echo launched in 2014, Amazon has launched several new versions of the original speaker as well as a host of other Echo devices that have Alexa voice control built in.

There are so many different Echos now that we've put together this guide to help you find the best one for your needs. Before we get into the specifics, though, it's worth pointing out that there are some features every Echo has, regardless of its specialty.

All of the Echo models below can control a wide variety smart home accessories using your voice or the Alexa App. Each has access to the thousands of third-party skills developers have made over the past couple of years as well as your Prime Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, or Spotify library. Most Echos have an audio-out port to connect to external speakers, too. 

In the slides below, we're going to focus on what makes the best Echos stand out, be it the Echo Plus' extra smart-home radio, the Echo Dot's small size, or the Echo Show's screen. For a deeper dive into the smart speaker ecosystem, you can read our full buying guide to smart home speakers on Insider Picks. 

Also, note that this guide is for Amazon's Echo smart speakers with Alexa built inside. We have another guide to the best Alexa smart speakers that aren't made by Amazon.

Here are the best Echo devices you can buy:

• Best Echo overall: Echo
• Best Echo for smart home: Echo Plus
• Best budget Echo speaker:Echo Dot
• Best Echo with a big screen: Echo Show
• Best Echo with a small screen: Echo Show 5

Updated on 11/20/2019 by Lisa Sabatini: Updated the Echo in this guide to the current model. Updated prices, links, and formatting.

The best Echo overall

The Amazon Echo is well-designed, sounds good, and has Amazon's super-smart Alexa digital assistant built right into it.

The new Echo 3rd generation costs a lot less than the original, but it's just as smart. While the third-generation model is a bit bigger than the second Echo, that larger size means it's better equipped to handle high volume.

Audio quality is one of the new Amazon Echo's major selling points. It has some updated hardware, including a 3-inch woofer (the previous version had a 2.5-inch subwoofer, for comparison), and the equalizer in the app allows you to adjust the bass, treble, and midrange. Online reviewers say the sound is on par with the Echo Plus, Amazon's significantly more expensive smart speaker.

Speaking of audio, you can also stereo pair this Echo with another 3rd-gen Echo or 2nd-gen Echo Plus. And like the 2nd gen Echo, there's also an audio-out port in the back so you can connect it to your favorite speakers or home entertainment center.

This slim, modern cylinder will fit in with any room's decor. When you awaken Alexa, a subtle blue light flicks around the round top of the speaker as it listens in.

For most people, this is going to be the go-to Echo option. It has better speakers than the Echo Dot, but it's not huge, ugly, or techy looking anymore. The new Echo can be the center of your smart home without being obtrusive. 

Pros: An audio-out port, better sound quality, affordable, smart home controls

Cons: None

The best budget Echo

The Echo Dot may be the entry-level option on this list, but it's still just as smart as its siblings, plus, its small size is its biggest asset.

It's ok if you want to keep your love of technology out of eyeshot. Subtlety is an art, but if you have an Echo Dot, it's not that hard.

Though it didn't receive a hardware update, the Dot is still the best entry-level smart-home hub on the market. For less than $50, get a hockey puck-sized gadget that can help you control your lights with your voice, answer questions about the universe, and connect to external speakers through a Bluetooth signal. 

The Echo Dot's best feature is definitely its small size. You can stick it just about anywhere, and because it has the same microphone array as its bigger siblings, it won't have a problem hearing your requests. Whether you're going for subtlety, or want the best way to dip your toe into the smart-home ocean, this is your best choice.

Pros: Small, smart, affordable, works just as well as all the others

Cons: Audio quality isn't as great

The best Echo with a big screen

The Echo Show can display information that its screenless siblings can only read to you, making it extra useful for timers and calendar events.

The Eco Show is one of the newer members of the Echo family and the first one to have a display. To put it simply, this is an Echo with a screen. It can do anything a standard Echo can, but it shows the information visually, in addition, to audibly. 

For instance, if you set a timer you'll be able to watch it countdown, you'll be able to see your calendar when you ask Alexa about your upcoming events, and until recently you could even watch YouTube videos. Google put a stop to that, sadly.

How useful the Echo Show will be to you ultimately depends on how you use your Echo. If it'd help to see a measurement conversion instead of just hearing it said out loud (there are 16 tablespoons in a cup, by the way), the Echo Show is a really good option.

Its speakers are also better than the ones found in the original Echo, although it's still to be seen whether or not they compare well to newer models. Still, if you love the idea of seeing Alexa's responses to your questions and requests, the Echo Show is your best option.

Pros: 10.1-inch screen, the ability to see Alexa's responses to you

Cons: No audio out, a higher price than the screenless options

The best Echo for smart homes

The Echo Plus can communicate directly with certain smart home accessories without having to go through a third-party hub.

If you've packed your place to the limit with smart home accessories, you might want to consider the Echo Plus.

It looks like the first generation Echo, but has an improved speaker system, and more importantly, a Zigbee antenna built in. Zigbee is one of the standards smart home accessories use to communicate with one another. Traditionally, an Echo would have to talk to a third-party smart home hub to access and adjust accessories like light bulbs. The Echo Plus lets you ditch that hub and creates a direct link between itself and some of your favorite smart home tech. 

You can find a full list of Zigbee-compatible smart-home accessories here, but I'm happy to see that Philips' Hue bulbs are on the list. As someone who uses those bulbs every single day, it'll be nice to save myself an outlet and some additional space. 

Because of its antenna, the Echo Plus still looks like a big piece of tech, but if you're the type (like me) who has smart home accessories around your home, you probably don't care. The Plus also received the auxiliary out port so you can connect it to speakers if you'd like.

Pros: Improved audio quality over the original Echo, direct communication with smart-home accessories, decent price

Cons: Pricier than standard Echo

The best Echo with a small screen

The Echo Show 5has a smaller 5-inch screen than the original model, making it perfect for use as a smart alarm clock on your bedside table.

The Show 5 is a smaller version of the original Echo Show. It has a 5-inch screen, so it can display video content, the time, and visual representations of Alexa's answers. 

Just like the original Echo Show, you can watch Prime Video, view security camera footage, and other video content on the Show 5. 

It can also display the time and you can use it to set alarms to wake you up in the morning, making it a great smart alarm clock for your bedside table.

If you love the idea of seeing Alexa's responses to your questions and requests, but you want a smaller device, the Echo Show is a great option. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: 5-inch screen, the ability to see Alexa's responses to you

Cons: No audio out, a higher price than the screenless options

• On November 20, ten presidential candidates gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, for the fifth Democratic primary debate co-hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post.
• With less than three months out before the first primary contests take place in Iowa and New Hampshire, the race is quickly heating up.
• But after two marathon days of explosive impeachment hearings, Wednesday's debate was relatively subdued, with Democrats mostly focusing on the issues and refraining from attacking each other directly.
• Here are the nine biggest moments from the debate.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

On November 20, ten presidential candidates gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, for the fifth Democratic primary debate co-hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post.

In order to qualify for the November debate, candidates needed both 165,000 individual donors and to earn either 3% in four DNC-approved national polls or 5% in two approved early-state polls from Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, or Nevada. 

In all, ten candidates made the stage, down from 12 who participated in the October debate. The November debate was moderated by veteran NBC correspondent and host Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker, and Washington Post White House reporter Ashley Parker.

With less than three months out before the first primary contests take place in Iowa and New Hampshire, the race is quickly heating up.

While former Vice President Joe Biden leads most national polls and has a massive lead among both African-American and Latino voters, he's facing fierce competition in Iowa and New Hampshire from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and especially from Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the moderate lane. 

But after two marathon days of explosive impeachment hearings, Wednesday's debate was relatively subdued, with Democrats mostly focusing on the issues and refraining from attacking each other directly. 

Still, the candidates took some shots at each other. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Sen. Kamala Harris traded sharp criticisms over each other, and Sen. Cory Booker brought down the house with a zinger against Biden's lack of support for national marijuana legalization. 

Here are the nine biggest moments from the debate:

SEE ALSO: Today is Joe Biden's 77th birthday — here are the ages of all the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates

Biden made a powerful argument for his candidacy based on the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump

The House of Representatives is currently pursuing an impeachment inquiry into allegations that the Trump administration leveraged a $400 million military aid package to Ukraine in exchange for the Ukrainian government announcing investigations into the Bidens.

Biden's son Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian oil and gas company, from 2014 to 2019. Trump's administration and the GOP have falsely argued that Biden acted improperly by calling for the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor who they incorrectly claim was investigating Burisma at the time. 

After a dramatic day of hearings detailing the extent to which the Trump administration tried to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, the former vice president made a powerful case arguing that he is so formidable that neither Trump nor Russian President Vladimir Putin wants him to be president. 

Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker politely sparred over Warren's wealth tax plan.

Warren and Sen. Cory Booker had a remarkably polite exchange over the details of Warren's wealth tax, which would place a 2% tax on individuals with assets over $50 million and a 6% tax with individuals who hold over one billion in assets. 

While Warren asserts that a wealth tax is justified based on the fact that almost every Americans build their wealth based on public resources, Booker said that public policy should focus more on helping Americans become entrepreneurs and build up wealth of their own. 

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Sen. Kamala Harris sparred and traded criticisms of each other.

Gabbard and Harris reignited a feud initially sparked during the September Democratic debate, when Gabbard took aim at Harris over her controversial record on criminal justice. 

In the November debate, Harris attacked Gabbard for her frequent, pointed criticism of the Democratic party's foreign policy doctrine, which Gabbard casts as promoting dangerous interventionism.  

"It's unfortunate that we have someone on this stage who during the Obama administration spent four years full-time on Fox News criticizing President Obama," Harris said. 

In turn, Gabbard accused Harris of "trafficking in lies, smears, and innuendos because she cannot challenge the substance of the argument I'm making."

Sanders pointedly criticized the Israeli government and said the US needs to re-think who their allies are.

Just a few days after the Trump administration controversially announced it would no longer condemn illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory as "inconsistent with international law," Sanders called out the Israeli government at the debate.

"It is no longer good enough for us to be simply pro-Israel. I am pro-Israel, and we must treat the Palestinian people with the respect and dignity they deserve. The situation in Gaza where youth employment is above 70% is unsustainable. We need to be thinking about who our allies are,"Sanders said.

Former Vice President Joe Biden awkwardly put his foot in my mouth in saying America needs to "punch away" at the issue of domestic violence.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1197357436123983872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Biden said repeatedly we have to keep "punching" at the issue of domestic violence.Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1197359469597999105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
.@JoeBiden, talking about the problem of domestic violence, says we have to "keep punching at it, punching at it, punching at it" in order for it to end. pic.twitter.com/FuMw1ih74r

Harris made a powerful plea to recognize and lift up the voices of black women in the Democratic party.

In an exchange with Buttigieg, Harris called out the Democratic party, for, in her view, taking black voters and especially black women for granted in its electoral politics. 

"Candidates have taken certain constituencies for granted, and when it gets near election time they show up to a black church they've never been before.....at some point black women get tired of saying 'thank me for showing up' and say 'show up for me," Harris said. 

Biden also falsely claimed that "the only black woman elected to the US Senate" supports his bid for the presidency, which Harris forcefully refuted from the stage.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1197363159142666242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Biden misspeaks and says he had support from "the only African-American woman that had ever been elected to the United States Senate," before correcting that he meant "first."

Harris's reaction:pic.twitter.com/oIL1hcMfWS

Booker brought down the house with a targeted shot at Biden still declining to endorse marijuana legalization, saying, "I thought you might have been high when you said it."

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1197360634998018048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
.@CoryBooker calls out @JoeBiden for his position that marijuana shouldn't be legalized:

"I thought you might have been high when you said it."pic.twitter.com/5v6i0UqANF

Near the end of the debate, Buttigieg and Gabbard traded shots at each other over military policy.

Buttigieg and Gabbard, the only two military veterans on stage, had a contentious back-and-forth about their respective visions for the US military going forward.

After Gabbard accused Buttigieg of wanting to place US troops in Mexico to fight drug cartels, Buttigieg claimed that Gabbard had taken his remarks out of context, and shot back at her: "I have enough judgment not to sit down with Bashar al Assad," referencing Gabbard's infamous 2017 meeting with the Syrian dictator.

Read more:

Kamala Harris rips into Tulsi Gabbard for being an Assad apologist and Fox News regular who criticizes her own party

Andrew Yang says if he's elected president he'll tell Putin: 'I'm sorry I beat your guy'

Tulsi Gabbard is more well-known after Hillary Clinton took a jab at her, but also less popular

Biden said we need to 'keep punching at' domestic violence and the internet was not amused

• A secretive $120 billion hedge fund founded by a Cold War codebreaker has vastly outperformed Warren Buffett over the past three decades.
• A dollar invested in Renaissance Technologies' flagship Medallion fund in 1988 would reportedly be worth $27,000 net of fees in 2018, dwarfing a $107 return from Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway over the same period.
• Scroll down to see Renaissance's 10 biggest holdings.
• View Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
  

  ---

A secretive $120 billion hedge fund, founded by a Cold War codebreaker and math professor, vastly outperformed Warren Buffett over the past 30 years.

Renaissance Technologies, which was created by Jim Simons, counts Chipotle and Facebook among its largest investments. It recorded an annualized, post-fee return of 39% at its flagship Medallion fund between 1988 and 2018, according to "The Man Who Solved The Market: How Jim Simons launched the Quant Revolution," a new book by Greg Zuckerman.

The 39% gain — 66% before fees — trumps annual returns of about 16% at Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and 10% from the S&P 500 over the same period.

Medallion's remarkable performance means a dollar invested in the fund in 1988 would have grown to about $27,000 net of fees by the end of 2018, dwarfing a $107 return from Berkshire Hathaway and a $20 total return from the benchmark index.

While the Medallion fund is restricted to Renaissance employees, the hedge fund's remarkable track record means its trading patterns are worth noting. Its 10 biggest investments, based on a SEC filing for the quarter ended 30 September, are listed below.

1. Bristol-Myers Squibb

Renaissance's biggest holding is its $1.66 billion stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb, a pharmaceuticals giant that makes medicines to treat cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other ailments.

Federal regulators approved the company's proposed $74 billion takeover of biotech firm Celgene this month.

2. Chipotle Mexican Grill

Renaissance has a $1.61 billion stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill. The fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain, which has more than 2,500 outlets, has largely recovered from a series of health scares a few years ago.

3. Verisign

Simons and his team have a $1.56 billion stake in Verisign, a network infrastructure group that operates the registry for domains including .com and .net.

4. Celgene

Renaissance has amassed a $1.54 billion stake in Celgene, a biotech firm that develops medicines to treat cancers and inflammatory disorders. Celgene is set to be acquired by Bristol Myers-Squibb, the hedge fund's largest holding.

5. Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a Danish pharmaceutical company that makes medicines for diabetes, hemophilia, growth disorders, obesity, and other chronic conditions.

Renaissance holds a $1.28 billion stake in the company.

6. Palo Alto Networks

Renaissance holds a $1.19 billion stake in Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity group offering firewalls, network security, cloud-based threat analysis, and other software tools to businesses.

7. Biogen

Biogen develops treatments for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological diseases. Renaissance has $983 million worth of Biogen shares.

8. Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Renaissance has a $982 million stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotech firm that makes drugs to treat cystic fibrosis, HIV, hepatitis C, cancer, and other ailments.

9. Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences makes antivirus drugs to treat HIV, hepatitis, influenza, and other maladies. Renaissance has a $934 million stake in the biopharmaceuticals group.

10. Facebook

Renaissance has amassed $880 million worth of Facebook stock. The social-media titan owns WhatsApp and Instagram as well as Oculus, which makes virtual-reality headsets.

• Donald Trump's presidency has been upended by an explosive whistleblower complaint that has snowballed into a fast-moving impeachment inquiry.
• The scandal has ensnared dozens of people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and poses the most immediate threat to Trump's presidency yet.
• What is impeachment? How did we get here? And what could happen next?
• We hope this guide will help answer these questions. There's even a table of contents below so you can jump to a specific section.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Donald Trump's presidency has been upended by an explosive whistleblower complaint that has snowballed into a fast-moving impeachment inquiry, ensnaring dozens of people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and posing the most immediate threat to Trump's presidency yet.

What is impeachment? Impeachment doesn't mean automatic removal from office. The impeachment process can be thought of as somewhat analogous to a criminal proceeding, even though impeachable offenses don't have to be criminal offenses. The House, like a grand jury, collects evidence, hears testimony, and drafts articles of impeachment — or charges — against the president.

If a majority of the House votes to charge the president, the Senate holds a trial where both sides present their cases and senators act as jurors. If two-thirds of senators vote to convict the president on the charges brought by the House, the president is removed from office.

How did we get here? And what could happen next? We hope this guide will help answer these questions. We highly recommend you read the entirety of this story so you can be as informed as possible, but you can also jump to a specific section from the table of contents below.

Table of contents

The players

The stakes

The possible outcomes

Timeline of Events (What's Happened So Far)

SEE ALSO: A whistleblower, a cover-up, and a quid pro quo: Here's everything we've learned from the impeachment inquiry

SEE ALSO: Who's scheduled to publicly testify next in Trump's impeachment hearings

First, here's a 60-second explanation of what's going on:

In early September, an anonymous whistleblower complaint lodged by a member of the intelligence community said that in a series of events culminating in a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump used "the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election."

The complaint detailed concerns that Trump, days after withholding a nearly $400 million military-aid package, used the call with Zelensky to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian oil-and-gas company, from 2014 to 2019. Trump and his allies have, without evidence, accused Biden of using his power as vice president to urge Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was investigating Burisma in order to protect Hunter.

The whistleblower's complaint has been corroborated by the White House's summary notes of the July 25 call, White House officials themselves, and the sworn testimony of several career diplomatic and national-security officials.

Multiple diplomats have now testified under oath that the Trump administration explicitly conditioned lifting the hold of the military aid to Ukraine on Zelensky publicly announcing investigations into Burisma and a discredited conspiracy theory that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 election to benefit Hillary Clinton.

The players

Here are the key players, broken down by group. Click on their names to learn more about their role in the Trump-Ukraine scandal and impeachment inquiry:

• White House officials:
  • President Donald Trump, who asked Zelensky to do him "a favor" related to an investigation into Burisma and the 2016 election.
  • Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump used as a conduit to further get the message across to Ukraine that it needed to investigate corruption to get US support.
  • Jennifer Williams, a State Department official detailed to the Vice President's office who listened in on the July 25 call and testified before Congress. 
  • Mick Mulvaney, the acting chief of staff, who in a press briefing undermined Trump's impeachment defense by confirming that the administration withheld the aid in exchange for an investigation into the Democratic National Committee server.
  • Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel and the White House's first line of legal defense against the impeachment inquiry.
  • Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, an expert on Eastern European affairs on the National Security Council who listened to the July 25 call and raised concerns about it to his superiors.
• Current and former Trump administration officials:
  • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was also on the July 25 call with Ukraine. Pompeo is also accused of misrepresenting his involvement in the matter and obstructing congressional investigations into it.
  • John Bolton, the former national security adviser, who is said to have pushed back on the idea of conditioning assistance to Ukraine for investigations. He could soon testify before Congress.
  • Former NSC senior director for Eurasian and Russian affairs Fiona Hill,who testified to Congress about the efforts to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations into the Bidens. 
  • Attorney General William Barr, whom Trump entangled in the impeachment inquiry by asking Ukraine to work with Barr on corruption investigations and requesting that Barr hold a press conference clearing Trump of wrongdoing.
  • Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, whom Trump tried to blame for the Ukraine call after the fact. Perry is set to leave the administration at the end of this year.
  • Pentagon official Laura Cooper, who testified on November 20 that the DOD was aware of the freeze placed on the aid to Ukraine by late July, almost a month earlier than had been previously reported.
• Intelligence community officials:
  • Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, who transmitted the whistleblower complaint to Congress and was the first witness to testify publicly about its contents.
  • Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community inspector general, whom the whistleblower initially filed their complaint to.
  • The anonymous whistleblower.
• Current and former diplomats:
  • Kurt Volker, the former US special representative for Ukraine, who gave critical testimony to Congress about the extent of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani's involvement in the Trump-Ukraine saga.
  • Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, a Trump appointee who testified that the pressure on Ukraine to investigate the Bidens was "insidious" and at least improper, if not illegal.
  • Bill Taylor, the acting ambassador to Ukraine, a Vietnam veteran and career diplomat who gave explosive and damning testimony to Congress that it was his "clear understanding" that "security assistance money would not come until" Zelensky "committed to pursue the investigation."
  • Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, a career diplomat who gave powerful and damning testimony that Trump and Giuliani pushed her out of her position for standing in the way of their efforts to compel Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.
• Ukrainians:
  • President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian and first-time president who was elected this April on a platform of cleaning up corruption in Ukraine.
  • Viktor Shokin and Yuriy Lutsenko, former Ukrainian prosecutors-general who were involved in the investigations into Burisma Holdings.
• Members of Congress:
  • Rep. Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, the person taking charge of the impeachment inquiry, subpoenaing witnesses, and holding hearings.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is guiding the trajectory of the impeachment inquiry in the House and recently called for a vote on a resolution to formalize the terms of the inquiry's public phase.
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who would set the agenda for an impeachment trial in the Senate.
• Others:
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who ran point on US-Ukraine relations in the Obama administration.
  • Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's eldest son, who served on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings from 2014 to 2019.
  • Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney who served as an unofficial envoy to Ukraine and roped various diplomats into his efforts to demand that Ukraine investigate the Bidens and the 2016 election He's now the focus of a federal investigation.
  • Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two business associates of Giuliani's who were recently charged with federal campaign-finance violations in connection with their Ukrainian lobbying work. Parnas is cooperating with the impeachment inquiry.

The stakes

Asking a foreign government for material campaign aid is not only unprecedented from a US president, but it could even violate campaign finance laws against soliciting campaign contributions or help from foreign nationals.

If Trump did, in fact, use military aid as a bargaining chip, as many officials have testified under oath, he could also be impeached on charges of extortion, bribery, and misappropriation of taxpayer funds.

Trump's White House and administration have also refused to comply with many aspects of the inquiry and have attempted to block multiple administration officials from testifying, meaning Trump could also face a charge of obstructing Congress.

Beyond the immediate threat to Trump and those in his inner orbit, the Trump-Ukraine scandal could have lasting geopolitical consequences that reverberate for years to come.

Ukraine is highly dependent on American military aid to defend itself from incursions from Russia. Ukraine has been engaged in a hot war with Russia, a US adversary, since 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed the peninsula of Crimea, a contested territory.

In his testimony to Congress, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, an expert on Eastern European affairs on the National Security Council, expressed concern about the military and political implications of the administration withholding the aid.

Bill Taylor, the acting ambassador to Ukraine, also testified that the US withholding aid and signaling less support for Ukraine could further embolden Russia to take more aggressive military action and contribute to further destabilization of the region.

The possible outcomes

On October 31, the House voted to approve a formal resolution detailing the terms and parameters of its inquiry. But it is still in the fact-finding stage, hearing witness testimony and reviewing documents related to the inquiry.

The inquiry is being jointly pursued by the House Intelligence Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The impeachment process traditionally begins in the House Judiciary Committee, which draws up articles of impeachment based on the results of the inquiry.

The House hasn't determined whether it would limit the scope of the inquiry to the allegations raised in the whistleblower complaint and corroborated by administration officials, or whether it would include articles related to obstruction of congressional investigations.

If the committee passes articles of impeachment, they go to the full floor of the House and require a simple majority vote of 218 members to pass. Members vote on each article individually, meaning Trump could be impeached on some articles but not others.

Former President Bill Clinton, for example, was impeached on articles of perjury and obstruction of justice, but he was cleared on a separate perjury-related article and a charge of abusing his office. In January 1999, the Senate acquitted Clinton on both charges.

For Trump to be removed from office, two-thirds of the US Senate — 67 members — must vote to convict him of articles of impeachment. Currently, the Senate consists of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with Democrats.

If Trump is not impeached, or impeached but not convicted in the Senate, he stays in office, and it'll be left up to the American people to reelect him or vote him out of office in 2020.

Here's a timeline of events from our past coverage:

November 20:

A Pentagon official unexpectedly blew up Trump's defense in the Ukraine scandal and Gordon Sondland threw everyone under the bus. Here are the biggest takeaways from Wednesday's impeachment hearings.

Defense Department official gives bombshell testimony that US and Ukrainian officials asked about frozen military aid on the same day as Trump's call with Zelensky

Republicans are grasping at straws after EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland blew up one of their last defenses of Trump

Trump's ambassador to the EU says the president ordered him against his will to work with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine

Cameras captured Trump's Ukraine talking points, written in giant Sharpie letters: 'I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo.'

The GOP warned Ambassador Sondland that he'd be 'smeared' by Democrats in the impeachment hearing before turning around and smearing him themselves

Rapper A$AP Rocky was a surprise focal point of Ambassador Sondland's impeachment hearing testimony

November 19:

The GOP's own witnesses blew up their case and a Purple Heart recipient was accused of disloyalty. Here are the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's impeachment hearings.

Republicans tried to smear Alexander Vindman by implying the US military officer has dual loyalty to Ukraine

Kurt Volker completely reverses his previous impeachment testimony and now says he thought discussions about political investigations were 'inappropriate'

Republicans called Kurt Volker to testify and he promptly shut down the right wing's biggest allegation against Joe Biden

Devin Nunes used all his time in the impeachment hearing to try to out the Ukraine whistleblower

November 18:

23 photos show the key moments of Trump's impeachment so far

Ambassador Sondland said Trump doesn't 'give a s---' about Ukraine except when it benefits him personally, official testifies

November 15:

Marie Yovanovitch took aim at Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and top brass at the State Department in damning testimony

Marie Yovanovitch gave powerful and incriminating testimony in the Trump impeachment hearing. Here are the biggest takeaways.

Trump attacked Marie Yovanovitch as she testified about learning she was fired while honoring an assassinated corruption activist

Experts say Trump's attacks on Marie Yovanovitch during the impeachment hearing amount to witness intimidation

Marie Yovanovitch was met with resounding applause and cheers after testifying for almost 7 hours in Trump's impeachment inquiry

Congressional Republicans are repeating many baseless conspiracy theories in Trump's impeachment inquiry. Here's why they're all bogus.

'Sondland told Trump that Zelensky 'loves your ass'': Official who overheard a call between Trump and a US ambassador testifies Trump asked about Ukraine investigations

November 14:

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace called the impeachment testimony 'very damaging' to Trump. The network earlier ran a graphic referring to Bill Taylor as a 'never Trumper.'

See the viral exchange where a Republican tried calling out Trump's whistleblower during the blockbuster impeachment hearings and a Democrat had the perfect response

November 13:

Bill Taylor and George Kent's vivid testimony in the first open impeachment hearing blew up Trump's defense in the Ukraine scandal

Bill Taylor and George Kent gave devastating testimony in the first Trump impeachment hearing. Here are the biggest takeaways.

A top State Department official blew a hole through one of Trump's main talking points in the impeachment hearing

Longtime diplomat Bill Taylor testifies that he had never seen a US president make foreign aid conditional on their personal or political interests

Top US diplomat Bill Taylor revealed details of a previously unknown phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland in his bombshell impeachment hearing testimony

State Department official George Kent accuses Rudy Giuliani of 'infecting' US-Ukraine relations with 'false information' and a 'smear campaign' in impeachment hearing testimony

November 12:

Trump wants to fire the intelligence watchdog who told Congress about the whistleblower's complaint

A Pentagon official's newly released testimony further devastated Trump's central impeachment defense that Ukraine aid freeze wasn't linked to search for Biden dirt

Republicans are trying to shift the argument over impeachment to what was going on inside Trump's mind, after testimony tore apart defenses based on fact

November 11:

Aides reportedly tried to anticipate the fallout from Biden's son's dealings in Ukraine back in 2014 but were shut down because he was consumed by grief

A businessman involved in Giuliani's quest for Biden dirt claims he was sent on a mission to broker a 'quid pro quo,' and his testimony could be highly damaging for Trump

John Bolton's lawyer dropped an intriguing hint that shows why he could be the most dangerous witness against Trump

November 10:

House Intelligence members say committee has evidence of a Trump-Ukraine 'extortion scheme'

November 9:

House Republicans requested that Hunter Biden and the whistleblower publicly testify in impeachment hearings

Here's how Trump could be impeached, removed from office, and still win re-election in 2020

November 8:

Trump's former top Russia adviser Fiona Hill's impeachment testimony paints damning picture of pressure put on Ukraine

Here are the biggest takeaways from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's blockbuster testimony against Trump

November 7:

Ukraine was about to cave to Trump's demands. Then the public found out about the whistleblower.

November 6:

Rudy Giuliani lawyers up as federal prosecutors investigate and the impeachment inquiry ramps up

Transcript of Bill Taylor's testimony underscores extreme lengths Trump went to in urging Ukraine to investigate Bidens

Adam Schiff announces public hearings in impeachment probe will begin next Wednesday

November 5:

Former diplomat Kurt Volker says Rudy Giuliani was a 'direct conduit' to Ukraine and demanded they publicly announce an investigation into the Bidens

Gordon Sondland, US ambassador to the EU, is the latest witness to confirm a quid pro quo between Trump and Ukraine

November 4:

An indicted businessman with ties to Rudy Giuliani is willing to comply with Trump impeachment inquiry

It looks like Trump and Giuliani's efforts to intimidate and bully the former Ukrainian ambassador went much further than publicly known

Ukraine is firing the prosecutor who discussed a probe of the Bidens with Giuliani

Trump's ex-Ukraine envoy said she felt 'shocked' and threatened when Trump told Ukraine's president she was 'going to go through some things'

November 3:

The whistleblower at the heart of the impeachment inquiry has offered to answer written questions from House Republicans, lawyer says

October 31:

Former White House official testified that military aid to Ukraine was held up by Trump's demand to investigate Joe Biden

House passes resolution formalizing impeachment inquiry into Trump as GOP continues to slam process

Former national security adviser John Bolton asked to testify in House impeachment inquiry

October 29:

House Democrats took an important step in the impeachment inquiry, throwing a wrench into the GOP's biggest defense

A top White House official is about to blow a hole through Trump's main defense about the Ukraine call

October 24:

It looks like the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Ukraine may have gone further than freezing military aid

Intelligence veterans say Republicans storming a secure congressional facility was a 'thuggish' and 'offensive' stunt that risked national security

October 23:

House Republicans stormed a closed-door impeachment hearing and refused to leave — and Trump approved of it

Ukraine just threw a huge wrench into Trump's key defense denying a quid pro quo

October 22:

Trump's Ukraine envoy gave 'damning' testimony to Congress that prompted 'sighs and gasps' from people in the room

Putin and Hungary reportedly 'poisoned' Trump's view on Ukraine and reinforced his belief that the country was 'hopelessly corrupt'

October 19:

8 Trump officials made stunning revelations about how the president and Giuliani weaponized the State Department

October 17:

Mick Mulvaney publicly confirms Trump held up Ukraine aid for political gain

Gordon Sondland, a central figure in the Ukraine scandal, threw Trump and Giuliani under the bus in his opening statement to Congress

October 15:

Trump's White House counsel Pat Cipollone is the first line of defense when it comes to batting back House Democrats' impeachment inquiry

The floodgates are opening as Trump officials publicly defy his orders and more whistleblowers come out of the shadows

October 14:

FBI officials were 'rattled' and 'blindsided' by Trump's call for Ukraine to manufacture dirt on Joe Biden

Prosecutors are scouring Rudy Giuliani's bank records and business dealings in Ukraine as part of a widening criminal investigation

October 11:

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Rudy Giuliani violated foreign lobbying laws in Ukraine

Ex-Ukraine envoy says she was fired on 'unfounded' and 'false' grounds after standing up to Trump and Giuliani

A federal court ordered Trump's accounting firm to turn over 8 years of his taxes to Congress

October 10:

2 of Rudy Giuliani's associates who prosecutors say helped him dig up dirt on Joe Biden have been charged with campaign finance violations

A White House adviser is flip-flopping on whether China gave him information on Joe Biden's son after Trump asked Beijing to investigate the Bidens

October 8:

White House says Trump 'cannot permit his administration' to cooperate with the 'partisan and unconstitutional' impeachment inquiry

A White House official who listened in on Trump's Ukraine call described it as 'crazy' and 'frightening'

The State Department blocked Ambassador Gordon Sondland from testifying to Congress about the Ukraine scandal

October 5:

Trump is reportedly blaming Rick Perry for his infamous call with the Ukrainian president

House Democrats subpoena the White House and Mike Pence as part of impeachment inquiry

October 4:

A 2nd intelligence official is considering filing a whistleblower complaint about Trump and Ukraine

Trump brought up Joe Biden during a June phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Trump reportedly personally ordered the removal of ambassador to Ukraine after people said she was impeding Biden investigations

Newly revealed text messages show Trump diplomats' internal turmoil over his pressure on Ukraine

October 3:

Trump's conspiracies are reaching a fever pitch amid revelations that the whistleblower went to Congress before filing their complaint

There's a 2nd whistleblower complaint no one's talking about, and it could be as damaging to Trump as the Ukraine scandal

Trump's top diplomat in Ukraine said in a text message that it was 'crazy' to withhold aid in exchange 'for help with a political campaign'

2 top Trump deputies drafted a statement for Ukraine's president committing him to pursuing political investigations for Trump

October 2:

The Trump whistleblower told the House Intelligence Committee about their concerns before filing an official complaint

The State Department's watchdog will tell Congress about efforts to intimidate officials from cooperating with the Trump impeachment inquiry

Mike Pompeo made at least 4 significantly misleading statements about his role in the Trump-Ukraine phone call

Trump used Mike Pence to tell Ukraine the US would withhold military aid while demanding that it investigate corruption

Pompeo confirms he was on Trump's Ukraine call after previously dodging questions about it

October 1:

Trump's false theory that whistleblower requirements changed just before the complaint over his Ukraine call got shut down by the intelligence watchdog

The White House is 'paralyzed' and 'teetering on the edge of a cliff' as it grapples with Ukraine fallout and 'Hurricane Rudy'

'Pure insanity': Intelligence veterans are floored by Barr's 'off the books' overtures to foreign officials about the Russia probe

September 30:

Mike Pompeo reportedly took part in Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine's president

Trump pressed Australia's prime minister to help Attorney General Barr investigate the origins of the Russia probe

Former Ukrainian prosecutor says Giuliani repeatedly pushed him to investigate the Bidens

September 27:

A top State Department official at the center of the Ukraine whistleblower complaint just resigned

Justice Department veterans say Trump could be accused of breaking 4 laws in the Ukraine whistleblower scandal

Rudy Giuliani claims that he's 'the real whistleblower' and that no one will know the real story on Trump and Ukraine 'if I get killed'

'Lawyer up': DOJ veterans have one piece of advice for Trump and Giuliani amid the Ukraine whistleblower scandal

September 26:

Read the full declassified whistleblower complaint about a phone call between Trump and Ukraine's president

Here are the biggest moments from acting DNI Joseph Maguire's testimony to Congress about an explosive whistleblower complaint against Trump

Whistleblower says White House officials were 'deeply disturbed' by Trump's call with Ukraine's president and worried they 'had witnessed the president abuse his office for personal gain'

Acting DNI Joseph Maguire undermined the GOP's entire argument against the whistleblower in one sentence

The White House has a complete transcript of Ukraine call but hid it in a possible abuse of power, whistleblower complaint says

Trump suggested the whistleblower who filed a complaint against him is guilty of treason, which is punishable by death

The whistleblower who filed an explosive complaint against Trump is reportedly a CIA officer once assigned to the White House

The US's top intelligence watchdog found Trump's conduct so alarming it could expose him to blackmail

September 25:

The Trump whistleblower raised concerns that the White House handled records of the call with Ukraine's president in an 'unusual' way

Trump mentioned a wild conspiracy theory about the DNC and the Russia probe in his phone call with Ukraine's president

Ukrainian officials say Trump would only talk to Zelensky 'if they would discuss the Biden case' in their July phone call

Nancy Pelosi brought a combative attitude to a phone call with Trump before launching an impeachment inquiry

The notes on Trump's call with Ukraine's president hint at a quid pro quo over investigating Joe Biden's son

The US's top spy agency referred the Trump whistleblower complaint to the DOJ for criminal investigation. The DOJ decided not to investigate.

September 24:

Trump aides were so afraid he'd pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden that they tried to derail his call with the Ukrainian president

Trump tried to negotiate with Pelosi on the whistleblower complaint after she announced an impeachment inquiry. Pelosi told him to take a hike.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just announced the House will launch a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump amid whistleblower scandal

Trump confirms he withheld military aid from Ukraine before pressing Zelensky to probe Biden

September 23:

Trump reportedly slammed the brakes on a $400 million military-aid package to Ukraine days before he asked its president to investigate Joe Biden

September 19:

'DEFCON 1': US officials are rocked by a whistleblower complaint involving Trump's talks with a foreign leader

September 18:

The US's top spy agency just dropped a big hint that an 'urgent' whistleblower complaint involves Trump or someone close to him

A major whistleblower complaint at the US's top spy agency involves a Trump phone call with a 'promise' to a foreign leader

September 14:

The acting director of national intelligence is withholding a mysterious whistleblower complaint of 'urgent concern' that may involve Trump

• Public testimonies in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump have entered their second week. 
• In week two, at least nine government officials and diplomats are expected to testify. 
• The first week of public hearings saw testimony from acting US ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, State Department official George Kent, and former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Public testimonies in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump have entered their second week, and government officials are continuing to speak in front of the House Intelligence Committee.

House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry into Trump in September. They're investigating whether or not Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine on the condition that the country's top officials investigated former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Much of the inquiry is focused on a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

The public phase of the inquiry began with testimony from acting US ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, State Department official George Kent last Wednesday, and testimony from former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch last Friday. 

Taylor, Kent, and Yovanovitch told the House Intelligence Committee that Trump had withheld military aid from Ukraine as leverage to pressure its top officials into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden; had his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani try to get information on the Bidens; and led a yearlong "smear campaign" against Yovanovitch alongside Giuliani before she was ousted.

The national security officials and diplomats testifying in the inquiry's second week of public questioning previously spoke behind closed doors. But now the public will have a chance to hear their testimony.

Here's information on everyone known to be testifying publicly in the inquiry.

Fiona Hill, formerly the top Russia specialist on the National Security Council,

Fiona Hill, the former NSC senior director for Russian and Eurasian affairs, gave testimony at a closed-door hearing on a White House meeting about the Trump administration's quid pro quo that is a key factor in the impeachment hearing.

She said that during the meeting Sondland said Ukraine had to commit to launching investigations favorable to Trump in order to meet with him at the White House.

She said then-National Security Adviser John Bolton cut the meeting short and told her to report it to NSC counsel John Eisenberg.

Also in her testimony, Hill said Giuliani was trying to impact policy in Ukraine, and Bolton told her that Giuliani was "a hand grenade that is going to blow everything up."

On Thursday, Hill is testifying in a public hearing.

David Holmes, a US Embassy in Ukraine official.

David Holmes, a State Department aide who worked at the US Embassy in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, gave closed-door testimony about overhearing a phone call between Sondland and Trump that took place after the initial July 25 phone call. 

He said he heard Sondland tell Trump that Zelensky would do "anything you ask him to" and that the Ukrainian president had committed to "do the investigation,"according to NPR.

He's also giving public testimony Thursday.

Bill Taylor, acting US ambassador to Ukraine, already testified.

Bill Taylor, the US's chief envoy in Ukraine, said in his testimony that Trump withheld back military aid from Ukraine unless the country agreed to investigate a company linked to Joe Biden's family, directly confirming a quid pro quo that has become the center of the impeachment probe. 

George Kent, deputy assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian affairs, already testified.

As a key witness in the inquiry, George Kent testified about former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's efforts on Trump's behalf to get information about former Vice President Joe Biden from Ukraine.

Marie Yovanovitch, former US ambassador to Ukraine, already testified.

Marie Yovanovitch, the ousted US ambassador to Ukraine, spoke about Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and top officials at the State Department in her testimony.

She described her ousting as a nearly yearlong "smear campaign" that was based on fabrications and lies.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine specialist on the National Security Council, already testified.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine specialist on the National Security Council, listened to the July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelensky at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

In closed-door hearing earlier this month, Vindman confirmed that Trump engaged in a quid pro quo with Zelensky.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where the gain would be for the president in investigating the son of a political opponent," he testified.

He said he was so concerned about the phone call that he reported it to John Eisenberg, the top lawyer for the National Security Council. He said Eisenberg told him not to tell anyone else about the phone call.

In his public testimony, Vindman vehemently denied his involvement in the inquiry was motivated by partisan leanings. 

His first-hand knowledge of the call and his expertise on Ukraine made him ma key figure in the inquiry.

Jennifer Williams, a State Department official and advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, already testified.

Jennifer Williams, a State Department official and adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, listened in on the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky.

She testified alongside Vindman. In their public testimony they said that they believed the call was "inappropriate" and "unusual."

Kurt Volker, Special envoy to Ukraine, already testified.

Kurt Volker, the former US special representative to Ukraine, was on a list of witnesses requested to appear by Republican members of the Intelligence Committee, according to NPR.

In earlier statements he made in closed-door testimony, Volker contradicted Trump's claims that Biden urged Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was investigating a natural-gas company that Hunter Biden was working for.

Volker said in his testimony that the prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, was not investigating the natural-gas company or any other corruption cases.

Volker said that Joe Biden was execution US policy in pushing for Shokin to be fired.

Additionally, Volker said in testimony that Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was a "direct conduit" between Trump and Ukraine.

Tim Morrison, a former National Security Council aide, already testified.

Tim Morrison, a former National Security Council aide, also heard the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky.

In closed-door testimony, he said he didn't view Trump's actions as illegal or inappropriate.

"I want to be clear, I was not concerned that anything illegal was discussed," Morrison said in remarks that were obtained by the Associated Press. 

Gordon Sondland, US Ambassador to the European Union, already testified.

Gordon Sondland, US Ambassador to the European Union, has faced scrutiny over his closed-door testimony and a three-page amendment he sent afterward that revised his original testimony.

In closed-door testimony, Sondland told the committee that he was involved in a campaign to pressure Ukraine.

In his amendment to the testimony, Sondland, once a top donor to Trump, revised his account, admitting that he told senior aide to Zelensky that Trump would "likely" leverage hundreds of millions of dollars of military aid as a way to get Ukraine to launch investigations into the Bidens.

In his public testimony, Sondland confirmed Trump's quid-pro-quo arrangement with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, and he implicated several other government officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former national security adviser John Bolton.

He also testified that Trump instructed him to work with his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

Laura Cooper, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, already testified.

Laura Cooper, a senior Pentagon official responsible for Ukraine, said in closed-door hearings that in conversations with Volker and Taylor, it was clear that Ukraine knew about the freeze on military aide before it was reported on in August.

"I knew from my Kurt Volker conversation and also from sort of the alarm bells that were coming from Ambassador Taylor and his team that there were Ukrainians who knew about this," she testified, according to the transcript.

Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Defense, told the House Intelligence Committee that her staff received two emails from the State Department on July 25 about US military aid to Ukraine.

She said that one of her stagers got a questions from a Ukrainian embassy official saying, "What's going on with Ukraine security assistance?"

David Hale, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, already testified.

In a closed-door hearing on November 6, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, testified about his knowledge of the ousting of US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

Hale told the committee that ahead of his visit to Ukraine in March 2019, Congressman Pete Sessions had told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Yovanovitch was "saying derogatory things about President Trump." He said he didn't believe the accusation was valid.

He said by the end of March, the criticism against Yovanovitch had grown so strong, that she emailed him, saying "she felt she could no longer function unless there was a strong statement of defense of her from the State Department."

During her testimony, Yovanovitch said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was reticent to release such a statement because he feared a critical tweet from the president. 

In his public testimony, Hale said that Trump and the Office of Management and Budget were at odds over the military aid decision.

When referring to a July interagency meeting, he said: "The State Department advocated, as I did in that meeting, for proceeding with all of the assistance, consistent with our policies and interests in Ukraine."