• Gary Cohn, President Donald Trump's former top economic adviser, said the president originally wanted to raise the top marginal tax rate to 44% as the GOP tax bill was being crafted.
• The rate was ultimately lowered to 37% from 39.6% in the final version of the bill that is now law.
• Cohn's statement appears to confirm reporting by Bob Woodward in his new book "Fear: Trump in the White House."
• Woodward reported that Cohn had to talk Trump out of raising the top rate to 44%.
• Cohn refused to talk further about the Woodward book, neither confirming nor denying the report that he stole documents from Trump's desk to prevent the president from pulling the US out of two major trade deals.

Gary Cohn, the former top economic adviser to President Donald Trump, confirmed a detail about the president's position on taxes that was reported in Bob Woodward's new book.

During a Reuters event in New York City on Monday, Cohn expressed regret that the Republican tax law that was passed at the end of 2017 was not simply a cut in the corporate tax rate. Cohn said that during the debate over the plan, Trump similarly wanted to just focus the bill on the corporate side instead of also cutting taxes for individuals.

In fact, Cohn said, Trump actually wanted to raise the top marginal tax rate to 44%.

"I would have rather have just cut corporate taxes, not touch personal taxes at all, and by the way the president was there too, the president would've just done corporate taxes and not personal taxes," Cohn said. "In fact he was willing to raise the high end of personal taxes, there were times he was talking about 44.6% or 44.9% on the personal side."

Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive, said that the administration ultimately had to include individual tax cuts because many US companies are pass-through businesses in which the owner takes the profits and the money is taxed like personal income. Cutting just the corporate rate would have created too large a discrepancy for corporations and those pass-throughs, Cohn said.

Trump's desire to raise the rate to 44% was reported in Woodward's new book "Fear: Trump in the White House."

The plan to increase the top tax rate to 44% was originally attributed to former adviser Steve Bannon and, according to Woodward, the bump would have allowed Trump to lower the corporate tax rate to 15% instead of the 21% in the final bill. But, Cohn advised Trump not to increase the top rate, Woodward reported.

"Sir, you can't take the top rate up," Cohn reportedly told the president. "You just can't."

"What do you mean?" Trump replied per Woodward.

"You're a Republican," Cohn, who was a Democrat, told Trump, adding the president would "get absolutely destroyed" if he went through with the idea.

The top rate was eventually dropped to 37% from 39.5% in the version of the GOP tax bill that is now law.

In addition to confirming Trump's desire to boost taxes, Cohn also fielded questions on the most explosive part of the book. Woodward reported that Cohn stole documents off the president's desk to prevent Trump from pulling the US out of the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Cohn refused to confirm or deny that Woodward's reporting was correct.

"I've said what I'm going to say on the Woodward book," Cohn said.

Cohn is featured extensively in Woodward's book, including many direct quotes. Woodward's book used interviews with anonymous sources conducted on deep background, which means no source is identified in the writing. According to reports, Trump and other members of the administration believe Cohn was a source for the book.

Cohn issued a statement on the day of the book's release that said Woodward's reporting "does not accurately portray my experience at the White House." The statement did not push back on any individual story, such as the document theft.

Cohn left the White House in March soon after Trump announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The former Goldman executive has been critical of Trump's use of tariffs.

The White House has also attacked Woodward's book, calling it "nothing more than fabricated stories."

SEE ALSO: THE BIG ONE: Trump slams China with tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods, taking the trade war to the next level

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• Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, plan to launch a private passenger named Yusaku Maezawa around the moon.

• Yusaku Maezawa is a Japanese entrepreneur and art collector. If all goes according to plan, Maezawa will take a lunar voyage on the Big Falcon Rocket, or BFR: a launch system that SpaceX is developing to colonize Mars.

• Maezawa purchased all seats on the spaceship, and plans to select six to eight artists from a variety of disciplines to take the lunar journey with him in 2023.

• The mission won't land on the surface of the moon but will ferry Maezawa and his artist crewmates around Earth's natural satellite.

HAWTHORNE, California — Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, have revealed who will fly their spaceship around the moon for the first time: a Japanese entrepreneur and billionaire named Yusaku Maezawa.

"Finally I can tell you that I choose to go to the moon!" Maezawa said during an announcement Monday evening. 

Maezawa also revealed that he has purchased all seats on the first crewed flight of SpaceX's Big Falcon Rocket— a new launch system that's being designed to colonize Mars. Besides himself, Maezawa plans to select six to eight artists to accompany him on his journey around the moon. The artists have not yet been chosen, but part of the project will involve them creating work inspired by their lunar journey after they return to Earth.

"If you should hear from me, please say yes and accept my invitation. Please don’t say no," Maezawa said. 

SpaceX did not reveal how much Maezawa paid for the lunar flight, but said it was a significant sum and that he already made a down payment.

"He's paying a lot of money that would help with the ship and its booster," Musk said on Monday. "He's ultimately paying for the average citizen to travel to other planets."

Maezawa was a skateboarder and drummer in his youth, and founded the custom fashion company Zozo 20 years ago. The billionaire made news last year when he spent $110 million on a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat. He said that he was inspired to bring a group of renowned artists with him around the moon after thinking of the masterpieces Basquiat would have created had he flown through space. 

If all goes according to plan, Maezawa and his artist crew may become the first-ever private lunar tourists in history. The mission is slated to launch as soon as 2023, though Musk said he can't be sure about that timeline yet.

Musk described Maezawa as incredibly brave.

"This is going to be dangerous. This is no walk in the park," Musk said. 

Musk also revealed some major design changes to the BFR. Instead of standing 347 feet tall, it will be 387 feet tall. It will have front actuator fins, as well as three back wings that will function as its landing pads.

The system's spaceship, which will ride atop a rocket booster, is expected to carry up to 100 people and 150 tons of supplies. 

SpaceX is currently prototyping the spaceship and other BFR hardware inside a 20,000-square-foot tent at the Port of Los Angeles — at least until a much bigger permanent facility is completed. The first portion of the system has already been built, Musk said.

The project is incredibly ambitious and expensive — the total development costs for BFR are somewhere between $2 billion and $10 billion, Musk said. 

"It's hard to say what the development cost is," he said. "I think it's roughly $5 billion"

Prior to Monday's announcement, Musk last publicly described the BFR and showed renderings of the system at the 2017 International Aeronautical Congress.

Although the design for the exterior has been altered since then, Musk said on Monday that SpaceX still only has "some concepts" for the interior of the ship.

"What is the most fun you can have in zero G?" Musk said when asked about the interior design. "We'll do that"

Aerospace experts who follow Musk and SpaceX's activities suggest that there could likely be more iterations of the BFR design before the company's first lunar voyage lifts off the launch pad. 

“I think it is really healthy to see this iterative change happening, because I believe we can assume it is based on actual development and simulation going on,” Greg Autry, the director of the Southern California Spaceflight Initiative, told Business Insider in an email before Musk's announcement.

But Musk said "this is the final iteration in terms of broad architectural design."

He added that SpaceX plans to shift a majority of the company's engineering efforts towards BFR by the end of next year, and welcomes the growing competition in the private space race. 

"Why is it 2018 and there's no damn base on the moon?" Musk said. "We should have one and go there. A lot."

This story is developing. Please refresh this page for updates.

Dana Varinsky contributed reporting to this post.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk is building a spaceship that's so ambitious that some experts are calling it 'science fiction.' Here's what SpaceX and its engineers are up against.

DON'T MISS: Astronauts explain why nobody has visited the moon in more than 45 years — and the reasons are depressing

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NOW WATCH: What living on Earth would be like without the moon

• President Donald Trump's decision to declassify select portions of a FISA application targeting the former Trump campaign aide Carter Page alarmed legal and national security experts.
• Trump called for the immediate declassification of certain portions of the Page FISA application, some of which appear to include information about confidential sources and methods.
• "The release of FISAs like this is off the charts," wrote one former Justice Department official. 
• Another former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of New York called Trump's decision an "incredibly dangerous move that sets a really troubling precedent."

Former law-enforcement officials and national security experts sounded the alarm on Monday, after the White House announced that President Donald Trump had ordered the immediate declassification of select portions of an FBI application to surveil a former Trump campaign aide.

The warrant to monitor that aide, Carter Page, was granted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The Department of Justice (DOJ) released the application, with significant redactions, earlier this year amid heightened cries from Trump and his Republican allies that the FBI had planted a spy within his campaign to cripple it during the 2016 election.

On Monday, Trump demanded the declassification of several pages of a June 2017 application to renew the Page FISA warrant, as well as FBI interviews and reports connected to the surveillance.

David Kris, the former assistant attorney general for national security and an expert on FISA, didn't mince words when he reacted to the news.

"The release of FISAs like this is off the charts," he wrote. "It is especially unprecedented considering that the FISAs have already gone through declassification review and the President is overruling the judgments of his subordinates to require expanded disclosure."

Joyce Alene Vance, a longtime former federal prosecutor, largely agreed.

"Releasing FISA materials compromises national security," she wrote. "Publicly releasing evidence during an ongoing criminal investigation is unprecedented."

An 'incredibly dangerous move'

The FISA process is arguably one of the most sensitive and secretive methods that the US government uses when it comes to gathering foreign intelligence.

The application process that goes into obtaining a FISA warrant targeting a US person involves multiple levels of authorization from senior FBI and DOJ officials, as well as permission from a FISA court judge.

The FBI's surveillance of Page began in October 2016 and continued at least until the summer of 2017.

His monitoring was related to the FBI's ongoing investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to tilt the race in his favor.

On Monday, Trump asked the DOJ and FBI to declassify pages 10 to 12 and 17 to 34 of the Page FISA application.

One of those sections appears to relate to the time period that Page worked on Trump's campaign as a foreign policy adviser.

Trump did not ask the DOJ and FBI to declassify subsequent portions of the document that detail Page's activities and Russian efforts to recruit him as an agent before he joined the campaign.

The president also did not order the declassification of another part of the document that details information Page provided to the FBI during an earlier interview, or sections that go over Russia's attempts to recruit New York City residents as intelligence assets.

While the Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from Page after he drew scrutiny, the former adviser testified to the House Intelligence Committee last year that he had several contacts with Russia-linked individuals, at times with the campaign's knowledge.

His testimony also appeared to corroborate key sections of the Steele dossier, a collection of explosive memos by the former British spy Christopher Steele that alleges collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

But Page had been on the FBI's radar even before he joined the campaign in 2016. Earlier this year, TIME reported that Page boasted about his Russia contacts as early as 2013, and two months after the FBI warned him that Russia was trying to recruit him as an agent.

Trump seeks to declassify information that could compromise sources and methods

Pages 17 to 34 of the application, which Trump moved to declassify, deal with Page's possible coordination with Russian government officials on activities designed to influence the 2016 election.

Crucially, several parts of this section appear to contain information about confidential sources that Steele used while compiling his dossier, as well as Steele's own history as an FBI source.

Several top congressional Democrats, like House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff and minority leader Nancy Pelosi, also warned that the declassification and release of some materials Trump requested could endanger sources and methods.

Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of New York, called Trump's decision an "incredibly dangerous move that sets a really troubling precedent."

"To say you're going to throw open the information in a FISA warrant for plainly political purposes is incredibly reckless," he added.

Kris echoed that view.

"The President has the literal authority to do this, but here, as in so many other areas, his exercise of authority is tainted by a severe conflict of interest, as he is a subject of investigation to which these FISAs pertain," he wrote.

Kris added: "This is perhaps the signal feature of many of his worst actions -- he seems assiduously to view and engage with everything through the straw-sized aperture of his own self-interest instead of the broader national interest."

The White House said Trump's decision was made in the name of "transparency."

But Trump has long characterized the Russia investigation as a politically motivated "witch hunt" designed to undermine his presidency.

In addition to publicly castigating the attorney general for not shutting down the investigation, he also ousted the FBI director, James Comey, who was overseeing the investigation last year, and he has publicly lashed out against other current and former DOJ and FBI officials connected to the investigation.

On Monday, he additionally called for the release, without redactions, of all text messages by several of those individuals, including Comey, former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, DOJ official Bruce Ohr, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, and FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

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• Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel has become the country's first leader to support same-sex marriage, according to multiple news reports.
• The revelation comes as the Cuba is set to vote on a new constitution next year.

Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel became the country's first leader to publicly express support same-sex marriage.

Diaz-Canel, who replaced Raul Castro in April, said that he is in favor of recognizing “marriage between people, without limitation” in order to eliminate "all types of discrimination in society.” 

"We've been going through a massive thought evolution and many taboos have been broken," Diaz-Canel said. 

Cuban citizens will vote on the issue in a national referendum in February 2019.

Cuba currently operates under its 1976 national charter, which defines marriage as a "voluntary union of a man and a woman." In the proposed constitution, which was approved by the Cuban parliament in June, new language was added to define marriage as a union between “two people.”   

The shift in the Cuban leadership's attitude toward same-sex marriage is largely attributed to the efforts of Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban president Raul Castro.

As the director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education, the younger Castro received international support for condemning homophobic attacks in Cuba and advocating for same-sex marriage. 

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NOW WATCH: I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for a week like a Navy SEAL

• Russia's defense ministry claims it has new evidence that the missile that downed Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) in 2014 was fired by Ukrainian forces. 
• The Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was shot down by a Soviet-made missile over the rebel-held eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board.
• In May, international investigators concluded that a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile supplied by Russian separatists in Kursk were responsible for the crash.
• But Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement, and its defense ministry claimed it had "newly discovered evidence" which it says discredits previous findings and pins the attack on Ukraine.

Russia's defense ministry claimed on Monday it had new evidence that the missile that downed Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) in 2014 was fired by Ukrainian forces. 

The Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was shot down by a soviet-made missile over the rebel-held eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. All 298 people on board, including 27 Australians, were killed. 

Remnants of the Boeing 777 aircraft that crashed outside the city of Donetsk in Ukraine have been analyzed extensively, and investigators are still trying to determine with certainty where the missile emanated from.

In May, international investigators concluded that a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile supplied by Russian separatists in Kursk were responsible for the downing of MH17.

"The Buk that was used came from the Russian army, the 53rd brigade,” Chief Dutch Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke told Reuters. “We know that was used, but the people in charge of this Buk, we don’t know.”

The investigating team has referenced images and video showing a white Volvo truck with markings unique to the 53rd brigade carrying the missile from Russia to the Ukraine. The Netherlands and Australia have directly blamed Russia for the attack, and have called on Moscow to admit responsibility and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. 

But Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement, and has instead shifted blame towards Ukraine with information investigators have deemed "factually inaccurate on several points."

On Monday, Russia's defense ministry claimed it had "newly discovered evidence" which potentially pins the attack on Ukraine.

According to the Defense Ministry, the serial number found on debris from the Buk missile was cross-referenced with a log book purporting to show it was produced in 1986. The missile was then delivered by rail to a military unit in Western Ukraine and to their knowledge had since not left Ukraine. 

The ministry also claimed some of the video provided to investigators showing the Buk system being transported from Russia were manipulated. The ministry cast doubt on its authenticity.

The ministry also claimed to have audio recordings of Ukrainian airspace officials discussing shooting down aircrafts which flew over its restricted airspace, specifically calling out the targeting of Malaysian Boeings. 

In response, the joint investigative team said they would "meticulously study" the new information as soon as the documents were made available, noting that previous information provided from Russia had been misleading on several fronts. 

Ukraine's Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak on Monday dismissed Russia's claims as an "absolute lie" and "another fake story." Also on Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree ending a bilateral friendship treaty with Russia amid deteriorating ties. 

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NOW WATCH: I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for a week like a Navy SEAL

• Audi unveiled on Monday its first fully-electric vehicle, the e-tron SUV.
•  The automaker will start delivering the e-tron in the US in the second quarter of 2019.
• The automaker has said it will have a range of around 248 miles, based on the European testing cycle, though it has not yet been tested by the US Environment Protection Agency.
• In addition, Audi says the e-tron will have a top speed of 124 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds, and a 95 kWh battery that will be able to get an 80% charge in around 30 minutes when using certain DC fast-chargers.

Audi unveiled on Monday its first fully-electric vehicle, the e-tron SUV, and opened reservations for the vehicle. The automaker will start delivering the e-tron in the US in the second quarter of 2019.

The e-tron will seat five, have two motors, and feature an all-wheel-drive configuration in its standard trim, according to Audi. The automaker has said it will have a range of around 248 miles, based on the European testing cycle, though it has not yet been tested by the US Environment Protection Agency.

In addition, Audi says the e-tron will have a top speed of 124 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds, and a 95 kWh battery that will be able to get an 80% charge in around 30 minutes when using certain DC fast-chargers.

Most interior settings will be controlled through two touchscreens, and the vehicle will contain Amazon's Alexa, which will allow drivers and passengers to get the news, order groceries, stream music and audiobooks, and access some smart home features through voice control, Audi says. A heads-up display will project some information on the windshield, according to Audi. The automaker says customers will have the option of adding driver assistance features that will help regulate the e-tron's speed and distance from nearby vehicles in heavy traffic or at highway speeds.

Here'a a look at Audi's first fully-electric vehicle.

SEE ALSO: BMW just unveiled a new electric SUV concept to take on Tesla's Model X — take a closer look

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The e-tron will seat five, have two motors, and feature an all-wheel-drive configuration in its standard trim, according to Audi.

The automaker has said it will have a range of around 248 miles, based on the European testing cycle, though it has not yet been tested by the US Environment Protection Agency.

In addition, Audi says the e-tron will have a top speed of 124 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds, and a 95 kWh battery that will be able to get an 80% charge in around 30 minutes when using certain DC fast-chargers.

• The United Nations wants to put an end to extreme poverty by 2030, which would mean everyone in the world lives on more than $1.90 a day.
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is keeping tabs on how the world's doing on that goal in its second annual report.
• It's not as sunny as last year's report. Bill and Melinda Gates warn that we must focus more on women to maintain gains in health and education around the world.
• Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann spoke to Business Insider about the urgent new report.

Bill Gates likes to tout himself as a pretty sunny guy. He regularly asserts that the world is getting better every day, in spite of the fact that the price of a loaf of bread is climbing, many people can no longer afford to buy a place to live, and free and fair elections are consistently under threat. 

Gates remains undeterred. "Overall, I'm quite optimistic," he told a crowd of Harvard students in April. 

He uses hard numbers to back up this persistently cheery outlook, pointing out that since the $50 billion-plus Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation began in 2000, the number of extremely poor people around the world has fallen sharply.

Since then, over one billion previously impoverished people have busted out of a so-called "extreme poverty" income bracket to live on more than $1.90 a day. In practical terms, this means there are fewer and fewer people getting around on two bare feet, cooking over a flame, and sleeping on the ground. 

In 2017, the Gates Foundation launched its first annual Goalkeepers report, checking in on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to see how far we have come in the fight against infectious disease and poverty.

That first report asserted that the world is gradually getting better on those measures. Now the Gates Foundation is sounding the alarm, warning in its second Goalkeepers report that the stunning poverty progress of the past few decades could crash to a halt if more isn't done to help people stay in school and get enough to eat. 

While the number of extremely poor people living in countries like China and India looks to be relatively on track to zero out by 2030, the number of people living in poverty in some of the world's poorest sub-Saharan African countries is still creeping upward — and could skyrocket if current trends continue.

Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellman says that forecasted downturn into extreme poverty is not inevitable. She believes the Foundation's biggest task today is helping prevent more poverty in Africa, largely by letting women take the lead in starting and growing their own families.

"If every African woman was able to have the number of children that she wants, you could have a decrease in population growth by 30% by 2100," Desmond-Hellman told Business Insider. "And that's just if she gets to do what she wants." 

Education also plays a key role. China experienced its own dramatic poverty reduction in 1990s, arguably spurred in no small part by more educated women entering the workplace. India followed suit in the 2000s. Now is the time to foster a similar African "wave" of prosperity, the Gates Foundation argues.

"We really need to have a third wave, and it needs to happen in sub-Saharan Africa," Desmond-Hellmann said. 

Why women are critical to everyone's economic success

Today, women in sub-Saharan Africa have an average of .7 more children than what they'd ideally want, according to the new report.

"The worry, the peril is that more babies are being born in the places where it's hardest to live a healthy, productive life," Desmond-Hellmann said. 

Nowhere will that be more true than in the African countries sitting below the Sahara desert, she said.

"By 2050, 86% of the world's extreme poor would be in sub-Saharan Africa," she said, "And 40% would be in just two countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria." 

At the same time, these two countries are set to experience rapid population growth, more than doubling and tripling in size. Fixes for this kind of population boom are already working in other African countries further north, like Kenya.

There, nonprofit Marie Stopes International provides free contraception for teens. At first, young Kenyan girls weren't interested in the free contraception, so Marie Stopes shifted its focus to empowering teenagers. They help young girls set goals for the future, and nudge the young women to wait to have kids until they want them, while continuing to finish school and pursuing their own dreams. 

Research shows clearly that a young woman who waits until she's finished school to have babies can have a positive, cascading effect on the health of her entire family, and country, for decades.

"Educated girls tend to work more, earn more, expand their horizons, marry and start having children later, have fewer children, and invest more in each child," the report said. "Their children, in turn, tend to follow similar patterns, so the effect of graduating one girl sustains itself for generations." 

The Gates Foundation is also highlighting the importance of helping small-scale farmers move from subsistence farming to more focused crop production, zeroing in on growing one product, such as tomatoes, and selling it at market prices. That kind of sustainable business plan means families can make money and provide better nutrition for their kids, instead of simply relying on their own farms for food.

"One thing we know about small-holder farmers is that many of them are women," Desmond-Hellman said. "We know when that kind of economic gain is available for women, she'll spend money on health and education for her children." 

Even as Africa is projected to nearly double in population size by 2050, the continent could produce a wave of healthier kids, ready to solve tomorrow's problems. But that's only going to happen if more women get to lead the way, putting their own health and education first. 

SEE ALSO: Bill Gates is raising his children according to a 1970s ‘Love and Logic’ formula — here are his top tips for grooming successful kids

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NOW WATCH: How Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are changing the world like no other humans in history

In 2017, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation published its first annual "Goalkeepers" report, highlighting global data to show that humanity is headed in the right direction.

The second annual report, released Tuesday, focuses on the "formidable challenge" of improving the lives of people in low-income countries, from reducing poverty to increasing access to safe sanitation, with a particular emphasis on African countries.

In Africa, a continent with rapid population growth, the number of poor people will remain the same even if the percentage of poor people is halved. On top of that, Africa is expected to nearly double in size by 2050.  

By that year, two out of five extremely poor people worldwide will live in either Nigeria or Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the Gates report.

The Gates Foundation has invested more than $15 billion on projects supporting Africa in various ways.

"We believe Africa is the world’s most important priority for the foreseeable future," the foundation's report said. "What happens to the large number of young people there will be the single biggest determinant of whether the world makes progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals — that is, whether life on this planet keeps getting better."

Take a look at the Gates Foundation's main areas of focus, from education and family planning to poverty reduction, and its plan for improving the world.

SEE ALSO: 11 global trends Bill and Melinda Gates say prove the world is getting better

Though the number of people living in extreme poverty is decreasing, the Gates Foundation emphasizes that regional variation needs to be look at too.

The global reduction in extreme poverty (defined as living on less than $1.90 per day) is "perhaps the best story of the past generation," the Gates Foundation report said. But it doesn't tell the whole story.

As countries gain wealth, the cost of living goes up. To account for this, the World Bank has created a second poverty threshold of $3.20 per day for lower middle-income countries. While the number of people earning between $1.90 and $3.20 is going down, poverty is changing at different rates in different places. For South Asia, this decline is very recent, whereas sub-Saharan Africa has not begun experiencing a decrease yet.

"These trends underscore the dynamic nature of poverty; despite progress, there are still many who are close enough to the extreme poverty line that they risk falling below it again," the report said.

Unpaid care work around the world is still disproportionately done by women and girls.

Unpaid care work — which includes gathering water, cooking, and taking care of children — shows the consequences of gender inequality, according to the report. 

"This work, some of which is drudgery and some of which is deeply rewarding, is disproportionately shouldered by women and girls," the report said. "The burden of unpaid care work is one reason why women are poorer than men, especially during the years when they devote the most time to child rearing."

More girls and women would be able to attend school and launch businesses if unpaid care work was split equally between men and women.

Currently, women between the ages of 25 and 34 are 22% more likely to be extremely poor when compared to men of the same age. And 88% of women earn less as a result of having children, the report said.

While global coverage of vaccines is high, many countries fall significantly below the average.

The percentage of people worldwide who can access vaccines for diseases like pneumonia and measles is rising, but these data points fail to tell the whole story. 

The diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP3) vaccine, for example, has global coverage of nearly 90%, but the number is below 50% in some countries. The coverage in five countries — Central Africa Republic, Angola, Somalia, Nigeria, and Equatorial Guinea — is expected to remain below 60% in 2030. 

Even if a country has a high overall vaccine coverage, some parts of the country may be neglected. In one quarter of sub-Saharan Africa districts, for example, over half of children have not received the required three doses of DTP3. The diseases covered by DTP3 can all be fatal, the report said, and the vaccine is considered the "gold standard" for measuring people's access to immunizations in a given area.

"The priority now is replicating successful strategies in the most challenging places so that all people everywhere receive lifesaving vaccines," the report said.

• Audi e-tron, the first electric SUV from the German automaker, debuted in San Francisco on Monday night.
• Two electric motors power the all-wheel-drive e-tron. A 95 kWh battery gives it what Audi says is "well over 400 kilometers" of estimated range, or more than 248 miles on a full charge.
• The e-tron seats five passengers and its battery can be charged up to 80% capacity in about 30 minutes using publicly available 150 kWh DC fast-chargers.
• By all appearances, the e-tron is instantly recognizable as a modern Audi four-wheeler: stout, muscular, and well-proportioned. Nearly all of its functions are controlled from two interior touchscreens. It's also the first new Audi to come equipped with Amazon Alexa built-in.
• The e-tron starts at $74,800. A midrange model goes for $81,800. The top-level "Edition One" is priced at $86,700. Audi is already taking preorders for the e-tron. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2019.

Audi e-tron, the German automaker's first all-electric SUV is officially here, in the metal.

The company pulled the covers off the five-passenger, all-wheel-drive e-tron on Monday night in San Francisco. It marks the latest evolution in the Audi brand, and the fledgling luxury electric SUV market.

Two electric motors power the e-tron. A 95 kWh battery gives it what Audi says is "well over 400 kilometers" of range. That would equate to more than 248 miles of range on a full charge, based on European testing, Audi said.

The automaker says numbers for the US market are pending, but anecdotal data, acquired from a handful of US road trips in a prototype e-tron, produced ranges as high roughly 270 miles on a full charge, according to Audi president, Scott Keogh.

That testing included a 175-mile trip on one full battery charge, from San Francisco's Craneway Pavilion where the Audi event was being held Monday night, to South Lake Tahoe — a trek that starts at sea-level and ends at a 7,000-foot elevation.

According to Keogh, who spoke at the debut event, the e-tron made it to South Lake Tahoe "with an estimated 12 miles of battery left." Some back-of-the-envelope math puts that right around 187 miles of range.

"A very respectable feat, given that 7,000-foot climb," Keogh said, adding that Audi engineers let the e-tron charge fully before starting their return trip.

"And then with the AC cranked, the radio blasting, two technical wizards at the helm, the e-tron made the 175-mile journey back to this very spot — but this time, it arrived with an estimated 94 miles of range remaining," Keogh said, which comes out to a roughly 269-mile range.

The e-tron's battery can be charged up to 80% capacity in about 30 minutes, using publicly available 150 kWh DC fast-chargers.

The range is on par with the e-tron's closest competitor, the Tesla Model X, which promises as many as 295 miles of range with a full battery.

Jaguar's I-Pace electric crossover boasts a 220-mile range.

As with all electric vehicles, the battery charge is partially assisted by regenerative braking. When the driver lifts their foot off of the accelerator, energy that would have been used to slow down the vehicle instead charges the battery via the electric motor.

Audi says the e-tron can recapture energy from most types of braking applications — 90% by the company's estimation. It says a third of the e-tron's battery range will come from regeneration.

The electric SUV hustles from 0 to 60 mph in about 5 1/2 seconds, according to Audi, with a top speed of 124 mph.

By all appearances, the e-tron is instantly recognizable as a modern Audi four-wheeler: stout, muscular, and well-proportioned. Nearly all of its functions are controlled via two interior touchscreens. It's also the first new Audi to be equipped with Amazon Alexa built-in.

The e-tron starts at $74,800, before federal tax credits. A mid-range, "Prestige" model jumps to $81,800. A select few buyers will be able to opt for a limited "Edition One" e-tron, which tops out at $86,700. Preorders are already underway. The first deliveries are expected to land in the second quarter of 2019.

Why Tesla should be worried

The e-tron ticks all of the right boxes for a next-generation, all-electric luxury SUV. It matches the Tesla Model X in some key metrics on paper: price, equipment, estimated performance, and estimated battery range.

And Audi, unlike Tesla, has the benefit of a deeply experienced, well-funded global manufacturing infrastructure. Globally, the company delivered more than 680,000 Q-model SUVs in 2017. The same year, Tesla delivered roughly 46,535 Model X vehicles.

Tesla's production struggles have intensified thanks to its mass-market Model 3 sedan.

On price, it's tough to ignore that Audi customers can expect to spend less than $90,000 for a top-of-the-line e-tron, according to Audi, compared to a top-range Model X. It's not immediately known how much you'll shell out when available options are added.

But when comparing one standard-equipped, $86,700 "Edition One" e-tron to a top-shelf, standard-equipped Model X P100D, which starts at $140,000 — both of which are priced before federal and state tax incentives — the difference is clear.

SEE ALSO: Audi just unveiled an electric SUV that will rival Tesla — take a closer look

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The average salary on Wall Street increased last year by 13% to its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. 

Annual pay in New York City's securities industry reached $422,500 on average in 2017, said the report, which was released on Monday by the New York state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

Wall Street pay rose as profits in the industry grew by 42% to $24.5 billion in 2017. In the first half of 2018, it reported a total profit of $13.7 billion, up 11% compared with the same period a year earlier. 

"The securities industry has been profitable every year since the recession ended in 2009, and salaries are higher than at any time since the financial crisis,"DiNapoli wrote in the report. "The industry is on track for another good year in 2018, barring unforeseen developments later in the year."

Notably, the securities industry now has the highest average salary of any other major industry in New York City, with its salaries accounting for 21% of all private sector wages paid in the city in 2017.

Nationwide, the industry has added more than 90,000 jobs in the span of seven years. It's set to add another 26,300 jobs in 2018, which would be the largest one year gain since 2007.

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• Coca-Cola is reportedly eyeing a deal to produce CBD-infused beverages.
• Beverage companies are looking to develop marijuana-infused beverages as a way to revitalize their businesses.
• Constellation Brands, the third-largest beer company in the US, this week invested $4 billion in Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana cultivator, to develop marijuana-infused beverages and other products.
• Lagunitas, Heineken's California-based brand, recently developed a hoppy, THC-infused sparkling water. And Molson Coors recently entered a joint venture to produce marijuana-infused beer for the Canadian market, among other deals.
• Investors are excited about the prospect of creating a whole new class of marijuana consumers, though some questions still remain.

Beer and liquor giants like Molson Coors, Heineken, and Constellation Brands — the company behind Corona — have recently pursued a flurry of deals to develop marijuana-infused drinks that they hope will give them a slice of the rapidly expanding market.

Now even Coca-Cola is reportedly eyeing the legal marijuana industry. The beverage maker is in discussions with Aurora Cannabis, a Canadian cultivator, to develop beverages infused with CBD, a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana.

Constellation, the third-largest beer company in the US, in August paid $4 billion for a 38% stake of Canopy Growth, the largest publicly traded marijuana grower, to develop marijuana-infused beverages and other products. It's the largest corporate investment in a marijuana cultivator to date. 

A handful of smaller firms and startups are seeking to build out products lines as well, either by developing their own brews or through strategic acquisitions.

"It's the next big evolution of the cannabis market," Keith Dolo, the CEO of consumer cannabis company Sproutly, said in a recent interview.

With declining beer sales, a pivot to pot

Beer companies are dealing with a new reality: Young people are ditching the hoppy beverage in droves.

Molson Coors saw beer sales slump for the fourth straight quarter, and Heineken's sales slipped in the first half of this year.

Marijuana may be a part of the beer industry's challenge.

Binge-drinking rates have fallen sharply in states with legal marijuana, according to Vivien Azer, a cannabis industry analyst at the investment bank Cowen. Azer expects expanded access to marijuana to hurt beer and liquor sales, particularly among young people.

Marijuana is legal in nine states, and Canada is set to legalize the drug for adults later this year, though edibles and infused beverages likely won't be legal until mid-2019, according to Matt Bottomley, an analyst at investment bank Canaccord Genuity.

Consumers are set to spend $32 billion globally on recreational marijuana in the next four years, according to a report from ArcView Market Research and BDS Analytics.

It's no wonder that a number of beer giants are looking to rapidly expand their footprint in the marijuana industry. Constellation paid $191 million in October for a 10% stake in Canopy Growth. The beer giant upped its investment to $4 billion on Wednesday in a sign that it's bullish on the market for marijuana-infused beverages, stoking investor excitement. 

Bottomley called Constellation's move a "transformational investment in global cannabis" in a note on Wednesday morning. 

"Constellation is committed to providing a substantial amount of capital to increase Canopy’s already leading position in Canada," Bottomley wrote.

And Molson Coors Canada recently entered a joint venture with Hexo, a publicly listed Canadian cannabis cultivator, to produce marijuana-infused drinks for the Canadian market, 

Not to be outdone, Heineken's fast-growing Lagunitas brand has developed what the company calls a hoppy sparkling water infused with THC — the active ingredient in marijuana — for the California market.

A few smaller companies — including Sproutly, Cannabiniers, which is rolling out its Two Roots brand of marijuana-infused beers, and Province Brands— are racing to develop their own lines of marijuana-infused beverages as well.

Bottomley, the Canaccord analyst, expects that 50% of the US marijuana sales over the next few years will be "derivative" products like edibles or beverages.

"We believe that the merger of the cannabis and beverage industries hold great potential for investors looking to reap the benefits of innovation in the space," a group of analysts at Beacon Securities, the Toronto-based investment bank, said in a note after the Molson Coors deal was announced.

Quick onset, predictable highs

The key to developing marijuana-infused brews, according to the companies Business Insider spoke with, is giving people complete control over the experience. A finely tuned potency level factors into how the brews are manufactured and marketed.

Lagunitas' Hi-Fi Hops— available in California dispensaries for $8 a can — offers two nonalcoholic choices. A strong version contains 10 milligrams of THC, which is equivalent to the average edible you'd buy in a dispensary.

The company also offers a weaker hybrid version, which contains 5 mg of THC along with 5 mg of CBD, a nonpsychoactive chemical in the marijuana plant that's thought to be responsible for a number of therapeutic benefits.

The Nevada-based startup Two Roots is developing a line of THC-infused beers, including an IPA with the relatively low dose of 2.5 mg THC — a lower barrier to entry for less experienced marijuana users. "It's a socially integrated product," Kevin Love, the company's director of product development, said. "It's designed so you can have four or five of them — like you may at a bar on a Friday night — to have the desired effect."

THC-infused beers provide an "easy entrance" to the cannabis market, he added. "You can see and feel it as a direct replacement for beer in a social setting."

According to Dolo, of Sproutly, the onset and offset of the active high is what's going to drive a given product's success. Each company is working to develop different chemical formulations that reduce the amount of time your body needs to feel the effects of the THC.

On that front, Sproutly recently acquired Infusion Biosciences, which has developed a patent-pending method to infuse the active ingredients of marijuana into a liquid that can be mixed into beer or other beverages.

"Overdosing on edibles is a horror story," Dolo said.

Remember when The New York Times' Maureen Dowd tried a marijuana edible in 2014 and wrote a column about her unwanted out-of-body experience? That's what THC brews are trying to avoid.

Both Sproutly and Two Roots claim that drinkers will feel the effects of their respective brews within minutes and that the high will last only about an hour and a half, depending on how much you consume. Two Roots' formulation is fully patented, according to Love.

While neither Molson Coors nor Constellation Brands have rolled out any products yet, Lagunitas' offering, already available in stores, is of the more old-fashioned pot-edible variety: It hits you slowly and it lasts a long time.

"If the products look and feel like a beer, there's a real market for it," Jon Trauben, a partner at Altitude Investment Management, a New York City venture fund that invests solely in the cannabis industry. "Consumers can control the experience and not let it get out of hand."

It'll be a while before you can order a pint of marijuana beer

It'll still be a while before you can order a pint of THC beer at your favorite happy-hour spot.

Marijuana is considered an illegal Schedule I drug in the US, which means that some beer companies might be reluctant to enter the market, fearing a crackdown by the federal government. Molson Coors is focusing on the Canadian market.

The price may also be a hurdle. If you're used to spending 10 bucks on a six-pack, it'll be a stretch to spend close to $50 on a THC-infused sixer.

Even in states with legal marijuana, customers will have to buy THC-filled beers at dispensaries, rather than at bars or liquor stores. They'll also have to be consumed on private property, like other THC-containing products.

There's also no set timeline for when regulators will let these drinks become available in bars.

All that said, some investors see the entrance of big brands like Constellation and Molson Coors as having "validated" marijuana as a sector that's ripe for traditional deal-making, Dolo said.

According to Trauben, the future of the marijuana industry will come down to which brands can quickly gain, and retain, market share.

Traditional beermakers have a big advantage in their existing beverage-manufacturing pipelines, but startups are gaining ground. Two Roots, for example, is working on hiring people from the beer industry to develop expertise in manufacturing and distribution, Love said.

This story has been updated. 

Read more of our cannabis industry coverage:

• The rising stars of marijuana's investment scene that everyone from Wall Street to Silicon Valley should know
• The highest-valued marijuana companies of 2017 reveal 2 key insights about the booming industry
• A startup that runs marijuana dispensaries is America's first $1 billion marijuana 'unicorn'
• A hedge fund that focuses solely on marijuana is crushing it
• A New York hedge fund manager moved to Canada and started the first marijuana company to be listed on a major US stock exchange — here's how he did it

SEE ALSO: One of the world's largest beer makers is about to start producing marijuana-infused drinks

DON'T MISS: Heineken is betting on a brew made with marijuana instead of alcohol, and it could help give a boost to the struggling beer industry

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• Netflix has a notably unique company culture, which its CEO Reed Hastings once outlined the philosophy of in a 2009 slide deck. 
• Drawing from a recent LinkedIn Q&A with Netflix and from a 2016 Reddit AMA hosted by a Netflix employee, we've compiled a list of quotes on the company's hiring process and culture.

Netflix is famous for its unique company culture, which does not tolerate either failing employees or "brilliant jerks."

The company recently held a LinkedIn Q&A where users could ask questions about its culture and philosophy, and its answers largely echoed a famous slide deck CEO Reed Hastings released in 2009 to summarize Netflix's management philosophy.

Though the company has morphed significantly since then, diving into original content and expanding across the globe, Netflix has maintained a commitment to its culture.

That means that working at Netflix isn’t quite like working anywhere else, and neither is getting hired there.

Drawing from a 2016 Reddit AMA hosted by a purported Netflix employee and from last week's LinkedIn Q&A, we've compiled the following essential quotes on Netflix's hiring process and company culture:

The interview (via Reddit):

“About 40-50% of the interview is about making sure your personality is compatible with our company culture. The rest is about making sure you're technically capable … They flew me out and interviewed me for eight hours. It seemed really easy at the time, but I now realize that a lot of the questions were checking that my personality was a fit for the company. No crazy technical questions that I hate.”

Culture fit was a big part of the hiring (via Reddit):

“You'll talk to about eight or so people, some from HR, some higher-ups, some of the team you're applying to. Typically if even a single person doesn't like you, it's unlikely you'll be hired. Ultimately the decision is with the team that's hiring but it's very rare for them to overrule a single ‘no.’”

There's a list of qualities they expect in an employee (via LinkedIn):

"You need to have relevant experience for the role you are applying for and on top of that, when you interview in person, demonstrate qualities that showcase Netflix values. Are you courageous? Are you humble? Are you curious and passionate and ask thoughtful questions about the business? Are you able to and open to providing and receiving feedback to be better? Are you scrappy, have grit and willing to roll up your sleeves regardless of your title? Are you a team player? Are you inclusive and self aware? These are all things we look for."

No one cares where you went to school (via Reddit):

“I'm a college dropout. I haven't heard a single person discuss education or degrees. When you're working with people who have 5, 10, or even more years of experience education doesn't matter anymore. It's all about what problems you have the knowledge to solve.”

There’s independence with responsibility (via Reddit):

“At every other place I've worked, there's a very strict hierarchy and everyone is working on whatever the orders from up high are. In a sense that's also true at Netflix, but the orders are less orders and more context about what the big picture is and what is going on with the numbers. And everyone is expected to pitch in in their own way. You can give someone a problem and they can solve it without going back and asking you for the exact procedure.”

On whether you can binge-watch Netflix at work (via LinkedIn):

"Freedom and responsibility — you choose how you want to spend your day doing what," a company representative responded on LinkedIn. "No one is saying you can or cannot do something, but you have to be responsible in moving the business and making an impact. For some teams it is necessary to watch our titles because they work on them."

"To be candid, there are a lot of fast-paced and exciting projects happening, so there probably isn't time or as much of a priority to catch up with personal Netflix viewing."

You have to perform (via Reddit):

“Netflix is definitely more cutthroat about firing ‘dead weight’ than every other company I worked for. If you're not working out for whatever reason, there's no reason to keep you.”

This person also said there weren’t any real “entry-level positions.” So if you were looking to get hired straight out of college, you’re probably out of luck. Though there are definitely people who have begun their Netflix careers in their mid-20s.

The "best" and "worst" part of the job are the same (via LinkedIn):

"The best thing is the freedom to do whatever you think is necessary to move the business forward. The worst thing is that nobody will tell you how to spend your time or what exactly you should be working on (outside of setting larger goals for your role). Determining which projects will truly be impactful is up to you, and sometimes that is really hard."

If you want to take a look at Reed Hastings' famous 2009 slide deck, scroll down:

SEE ALSO: Netflix held a Q&A on LinkedIn, and everyone seemed to have the same 2 burning questions

Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, revealed on Monday that the first private person to ever fly around the moon will be Japanese entrepreneur and billionaire named Yusaku Maezawa.

Maezawa revealed that he had purchased all the seats on the first crewed flight of SpaceX's new Big Falcon Rocket that is being designed to colonize Mars, and has decided to select six to eight artists to accompany him on the journey, though they have not yet been selected.

He says the artists will be part of a project called #dearmoon, which will involve them creating work inspired by their lunar journey. 

It's unclear how much the moon's first space tourist paid for access to the lunar flight, though SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Maezawa is "paying a lot of money that would help with the ship and its booster."

"He's ultimately paying for the average citizen to travel to other planets." 

Here's what we know about the man who could be part of the space travel revolution.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk just revealed who will fly to the moon on SpaceX's new rocket ship

Yusaku Maezawa was born in Japan's eastern Chiba prefecture in 1975.

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He started an indie rock group called Switch Style, and released an EP in 1995.

He went by the stage name YOU X SUCK and played the drums. 

He had a passion for collecting CD's and records, and began a CD and record mail-order business in 1995.

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He decided early on that he did not want to become a white-collar worker in Japan "after seeing all the tired faces on my morning commutes." 

Source: The Daily Beast

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Tuesday.

1. Apple released its big new iPhone update, iOS 12. Apple announced the latest version of the operating system for iPhones and iPads in June, and it was rolled out for everyone on Monday.

2. The diver Elon Musk called a "pedo" is suing him for defamation. The lawsuit alleges that diver Vernon Unsworth's reputation was damaged as a result of "false and defamatory" tweets and emails written by Musk that said Unsworth is a pedophile who married a 12-year-old girl in Thailand without presenting reliable evidence to back those claims.

3. Elon Musk revealed who will fly to the moon on SpaceX's new rocket ship. Musk and his rocket company SpaceX plan to launch , a Japanese entrepreneur and billionaire, around the moon.

4. Google apologized for accidentally changing settings on some people's smartphones without their knowledge or consent. Some Android smartphone users reported that their battery saving settings were enabled without their knowledge or consent.

5. Amazon will reportedly release its own Alexa-enabled microwave, plus a bunch of other gadgets, later this year. Amazon is reportedly set to announce at least eight new devices powered by its Alexa voice assistant at an event later in September, according to CNBC.

6. The Apple Watch and AirPods dodged Trump's latest round of tariffs on China — but cloud data centers weren't so lucky. The US will spare the Apple Watch and other consumer gadgets from the latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods, but parts for computer servers and networking gear that power "cloud" data centers and internet-based services now face a levy.

7. Oracle stock tumbled after it missed Wall Street revenue targets. Shares of Oracle fell more than 5% in after hours trading on Monday after it reported a 1% increase in revenue in its fiscal first quarter, falling short of the average analyst expectation.

8. Twitter is trading at its lowest price since April after a brutal note from a Wall Street analyst. Twitter shares fell to their lowest price in months on Monday after a brutal research note from MoffettNathanson.

9. Regulators from more than a dozen countries are looking to crack down on "loot boxes," a controversial video gaming practice that could be too much like gambling. European regulators are questioning whether video games featuring random prizes you have to pay real money to get are the equivalent of gambling.

10. Nintendo is about to start charging $20 a year for online features on the Switch console. Nintendo was the last major console maker to offer free online multiplayer services, but the launch of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service marks the end of an era for the console — and for online gaming in general.

Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear 10 Things in Tech each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.

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Hello! Here's what's happening on Tuesday.

1. US President Donald Trump slammed China with tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods. The move is seen as a major escalation of the US-China trade war, and China is expected to respond with more tariffs.

2. US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexual assault are expected to testify in a public hearing. The woman said she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh when she was 15 and he was 17.

3. South Korean and North Korean leaders are meeting in Pyongyang for their third and possibly most challenging summit. They have met twice this year, but this marks the first visit by a South Korean leader to the Northern capital in 11 years.

4. Russia claims it has a new reason to blame Ukraine for the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 in 2014. Investigators have concluded that a Soviet-made Buk missile supplied by Russian separatists in Kursk were responsible for the crash, but Russia has repeatedly denied involvement.

5. Syria accidentally shot down a Russian plane while reportedly fending off an Israeli missile strike. Russia also announced it had lost contact with an IL-20 aircraft carrying 14 service members.

6. Cuba's president became the country's first leader to support same-sex marriage. The revelation comes as the Cuba is set to vote on a new constitution next year.

7. Google apologized for accidentally changing settings on some people's smartphones without their knowledge or consent. Some Android smartphone users reported that their battery-saving settings were enabled without their knowledge or consent.

8. Pakistan's Prime Minister held an auction to sell more than 100 of his cars and helicopters. The austerity move was aimed at keeping Pakistan's struggling economy afloat. 

9. Facebook is looking to hire a director of human rights policy to address human rights abuses. Facebook has been accused of not doing enough to stifle the spread of disinformation and abuse on its site.

10. Elon Musk and his rocket company,SpaceX, plan to launch a private passenger around the moon. Japanese billionaire businessman and art collector Yusaku Maezawa bought all the available seats and plans to take several influential artists with him as part of a project.

And finally ...

All the Emmys 2018 winners

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HAWTHORNE, California — Elon Musk has finally revealed the person who is paying SpaceX untold millions to have the rocket company launch a private mission around the moon.

Yasuka Maezawa, or "MZ" as SpaceX's newest benefactor prefers to be called, is a Japanese entrepreneur, art collector, billionaire, and skateboarder who made his fortune in the fashion industry over the past 20 years.

In 2023, Maezawa hopes to pile six to eight artists inside SpaceX's giant new launch system called BFR, which stands for Big Falcon Rocket (or, as Musk has described it, Big F---ing rocket). They'd then launch from Earth and voyage around the moon on a trip that would take about six days.

Maezawa's goal with the mission, which he's titled #dearMoon, is to spread messages of art and peace in both space and on Earth.

Although Maezawa's announcement surprised many people inside SpaceX's rocket factory on Monday night, new images and information about the BFR that Musk shared raised even more eyebrows.

"This is the final iteration, in terms of broad architectural design," Musk told roughly 100 reporters during the press event.

Here are the latest BFR pictures Musk showed, how the in-development spacecraft has changed, and why tweaks that SpaceX engineers made are so important for the company's ultimate goal of colonizing Mars.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk just revealed who will fly to the moon on SpaceX's new rocket ship

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Before and after Maezawa's moon mission announcement, Musk shared new images and details of the Big Falcon Rocket like this one.

Musk first publicly discussed the BFR system during a September 2016 presentation to the International Astronautical Congress. However, he has changed the spacecraft's design every year.

Source: Business Insider

This year was no different, though Musk called the new BFR "the final iteration" of the design.

Source: Business Insider

• The US announced new tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports on Monday evening.
• China's Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday it has "no choice" but to retaliate.
• It's not clear what form the retaliation will take, but the ministry previously promised to respond with tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods.

China will hit back at the US with retaliatory tariffs after President Donald Trump levied a fresh $200 billion of tariffs against Chinese goods overnight.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Tuesday morning that it had "no choice" but to retaliate. It's not clear what form retaliation will take, but the ministry previously threatened tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods. This would mean that between 85% and 95% of American imports coming into China would be subject to a tariff.

Here's a timeline of the US-China trade war so far:

• March 1: President Donald Trump announces tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum, including metals from China.
• March 22: Trump announces plans to impose a 25% tariff on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. China announces tariffs in retaliation to the steel and aluminum duties and promises a response to the latest US announcement.
• April 3: The US trade representative announces a list of Chinese goods subject to the tariffs. There is a mandatory 60-day comment period for industries to ask for exemptions from the tariffs.
• April 4: China rolls out a list of more than 100 US goods worth roughly $50 billion that are subject to retaliatory tariffs.
• May 21: After a meeting, the two countries announce the outline of a trade deal to avoid the tariffs.
• May 29: The White House announces that the tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods will move forward, with the final list of goods released June 15. The move appears to wreck the nascent trade deal.
• June 15: Trump rolls out the final list of goods subject to new tariffs. Chinese imports worth $34 billion would be subject to the new 25% tariff as of July 6, with another $16 billion worth of imports subject to the tariff at a later date. China retaliates with an equivalent set of tariffs.
• June 18: Trump threatens a 10% tariff on another $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.
• July 6: The first tranche of tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods takes effect; China responds in kind.
• July 10: The US releases an initial list of an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that could be subject to a 10% tariff.
• August 1: Washington more than doubles the value of its tariff threats against Beijing, announcing plans to increase the size of proposed duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%.
• August 3: China says it will impose tariffs of various rates on another $60 billion worth of US goods if Trump moves forward with his latest threat.
• August 7: The US announces that the second tranche of tariffs, which will hit $16 billion worth of Chinese goods, will go into effect on August 23.
• August 23: The US imposes tariffs on another $16 billion worth of Chinese goods, and Beijing responds with tariffs on $16 billion worth of US goods.
• September 7: Trump says the tranche of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods is coming "soon" and threatens to impose tariffs on another $267 billion worth of Chinese goods.
• September 18: Trump announces 10% tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, saying China has "been unwilling to change its practices."

SEE ALSO: THE BIG ONE: Trump slams China with tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods, taking the trade war to the next level

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• As big box stores like Kmart and JCPenney continue to shutter their doors, they have given birth to a wave of new development.
• With its latest design, architecture firm KTGY transforms an empty store into a living space for homeless residents.
• In addition to offering support for the homeless, the project hopes to bypass the bureaucracy of transitional housing.

The steep decline of big box stores like Kmart and JCPenney has made way for a host of new development. In recent years, a string of vacant malls and retail chains have been converted into everything from classrooms and office space to churches and trampoline parks. 

As merchants like Amazon continue to dominate online shopping, economists estimate that another 30,000 to 80,000 retail stores will close by 2025.

Recently, developers have begun to view these spaces as a possible solution to a growing national housing crisis.

In Southern California, architecture firm KTGY sees big box stores as a way to accommodate the region's thousands of unsheltered homeless residents. In early September, the firm unveiled the designs for Re-Habit, a housing concept that would transform an 86,000-square-foot department store into a transitional space for the homeless.

The firm is not alone. In June, the site of a former Macy's department store in Alexandria, Virginia, became a temporary homeless shelter that provides beds, hot meals, and showers for at least 60 local residents.

The concept behind Re-Habit is slightly different. With its pod-style apartment units, residential kitchen, and rooftop garden, the design is almost indistinguishable from a co-living community, where residents rent their own apartments but share certain amenities and living spaces. That comparison is intentional, said David Senden, a principal at the firm and the leader of its in-house research and development studio. "These are people like anybody else," said Senden, referring to the project's future tenants. "Instead of it being a shelter, it’s just another way to live in a group home."

KTGY is now seeking out partners to help bring its vision to life. Here's what the project might look like if it comes to fruition. 

The project has its own retail space, which adorns an entry path to the mall.

Additional amenities include a kitchen, laundry room, gym, training room, library, computer center, reading room, and outdoor dining area.

The facility features pod-style bedrooms, a temporary shelter, and eight apartment units above the retail space.

The longer a resident stays in the program, the more privacy they are afforded with their rooming accommodations.

Bedrooms come in three sizes: 20-bed pods, 12-bed pods, or a two-bed room.

The design is only a small part of what makes Re-Habit unique. According to Senden, the project is "more about the programming" than the layout.

"The idea is that people would come in with a lot of trouble and, through a very set curriculum and program, could go from being highly cared for ... [to gradually obtaining] greater freedoms," he said. 

In addition to job training services, the development would offer support for residents suffering from mental illness or substance abuse. The end goal is to have residents contribute to the facility by running its operations or working in its retail store.

"Full House" premiered on ABC on September 22, 1987. The show lasted for eight seasons and launched the careers of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (who jointly played Michelle Tanner). The Tanner family grew over the course of the show — and included a few notable guest stars along the way.

Musicians like Frankie Valli and The Beach Boys made appearances on "Full House," but they're not the only ones.

Keep reading to find out which other celebrities have guest-starred on the hit show. 

"Boy Meets World" star Danielle Fishel appeared on two episodes of "Full House."

On season six, the actress played Jennifer P., one of three Jennifers (who were considered "the coolest girls in the fifth grade"). Stephanie later got her ears pierced so she could fit in with them. 

NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar showed off his basketball skills and gave Uncle Jesse some tips.

Abdul-Jabbar played himself on the show and refereed a charity basketball game called "Baskets for Bayview."

"Wheel of Fortune's" Vanna White appeared in a dream that D.J. had while stressing over the S.A.T.

D.J. feared that if she didn't ace the test, she wouldn't get accepted into Stanford University.   

This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

Regtech solutions seemed to offer the solution to financial institutions' (FIs) compliance woes when they first came to prominence around 24 months ago, gaining support from regulators and investors alike. 

However, many of the companies offering these solutions haven't scaled as might have been expected from the initial hype, and have failed to follow the trajectory of firms in other segments of fintech.

This unexpected inertia in the regtech industry is likely to resolve over the next 12-18 months as other factors come into play that shift FIs' approach to regtech solutions, and as the companies offering them evolve. External factors driving this change include regulatory support of regtech solutions, and consultancies offering more help to FIs wanting to sift through solutions. Startups offering regtech solutions will also play a part by partnering with each other, forming industry organizations, and taking advantage of new opportunities.

This report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, provides a brief overview of the current global financial regulatory compliance landscape, and the regtech industry's position within it. It then details the major drivers that will shift the dial on FIs' adoption of regtech over the next 12-18 months, as well as those that will propel startups offering regtech solutions to new heights. Finally, it outlines what impact these drivers will have, and gives insight into what the global regtech industry will look like by 2020.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Regulatory compliance is still a significant issue faced by global FIs. In 2018 alone, EU regulations MiFID II and PSD2 have come into effect, bringing with them huge handbooks and gigantic reporting requirements. 
• Regtech startups boast solutions that can ease FIs' compliance burden — but they are struggling to scale. 
• Some changes expected to drive greater adoption of these solutions in the next 12 to 18 months are: the ongoing evolution of startups' business models, increasing numbers of partnerships, regulators' promotion of regtech, changing attitudes to the segment among FIs, and consultancies helping to facilitate adoption.
• FIs will actively be using solutions from regtech startups by 2020, and startups will be collaborating in an organized fashion with each other and with FIs. Global regulators will have adopted regtech themselves, while continuing to act as advocates for the industry.

In full, the report:

• Reviews the major changes expected to hit the regtech segment in the next 12 to 18 months.
• Examines the drivers behind these changes, and how the proliferation of regtech will improve compliance for FIs.
• Provides our view on what the future of the regtech industry looks like through 2020.
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