• VA Secretary Robert Wilkie confirmed plans to continue the VA's controversial medical experimentation on dogs.
• Wilkie made the announcement Friday to the National Press Club, where he said the practice helps advance medical research for veterans.
• VA timelines show the experiments, which have come under fire from animal advocates, began in the 1960s.

Speaking to the National Press Club, Veteran's Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said he will reauthorize dog experimentation at the VA.

The VA started the controversial practice in the 1960s, and has come under fire in recent years from animal rights organizations.

Some of the experiments, described by USA Today, include implanting pacemakers in dogs before inducing abnormal heart rhythms and removing parts of their brains to test neurons. The report also said that after the experiments, the dogs are euthanized.

USA Today broke the news on November 1 that the VA would continue the experiments, citing obtained documents. Secretary Wilkie confirmed the VA's plans on Friday, saying they help "advance medical research for veterans."

Wilkie's announcement is drawing sharp criticism from veterans, including Florida Republican Reps. Vern Buchanan and Brian Mast. Both have co-sponsored the PUPPERS Act, a bipartisan effort to end painful dog experiments at the VA.

In a statement provided to Business Insider, Buchanan called the VA's research "gruesome" and said some of the procedures include severing a dog's spine.

"The VA has become a canine house of horrors," he said.

The bill argues that these experiments are not only cruel but also unnecessary. Marine veteran and AMVETS executive Sherman Gillum agreed, saying that the procedures have not produced any medical advancements in "decades."

SEE ALSO: On the centennial of Armistice Day, the US still doesn't have a national memorial for World War I — but that is about to change

Join the conversation about this story »

• NFL players are wearing a new helmet that's designed to better protect football players' heads.
• The VICS ZERO1 morphs its shape to absorb more impact from hits than a typical hard-shelled helmet. 
• Over 60 NFL players wore the helmet in 2017, including Russell Wilson, Alex Smith, Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, and Lamar Miller.
• Watch the video above to see how the helmet works.

Following is a transcript of the video.

This is not your typical football helmet. VICIS ZERO1 looks like a standard helmet on the outside. But when it hits something, it reacts much differently. Its innovative design is protecting football players' heads. Here's how it works. 

When hit, hard-shelled helmets stay rigid. When ZERO1 is hit, it morphs its shape. This allows it to absorb more force from a blow. The secret?

Lots of separate columns of padding inside the helmet. When pressure is applied, they deform and absorb the pressure. Multiple layers work together to slow impact forces. This keeps the head protected from multiple forces. The ZERO1 has a softer outer shell than a normal helmet. This slows impact forces before they reach the head and brain. ZERO1 also offers a wider field of view than traditional helmets. 

The ZERO1 ranked first in the NFL/NFLPA 2017 helmet laboratory performance testing. The goal of the test was to "determine which helmet reduced head impact severity." The outer shell takes a collision like a car bumper. The helmet costs $950.

The ZERO1 was worn by over 60 NFL players in 2017. Including Russell Wilson, Alex Smith, Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, and Lamar Miller. ZERO1 was also worn by players on over 20 NCAA programs in 2017. Teams included Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, and Texas A&M. Notre Dame has announced it will give its entire roster a ZERO1 helmet in the upcoming season. Time will tell if more players adopt the ZERO1.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published on February 5, 2018.

Join the conversation about this story »

Apple's newest crop of phones is here, which means you may be thinking about finally upgrading from your older iPhone. 

During the past few years, it hasn't been easy to justify shelling out for a new phone if you're using an iPhone 5S, 6, or 6S. The design has been similar, the camera hasn't been a major upgrade, and the battery life hasn't necessarily been such a major jump from older devices. 

But now that the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max have arrived, it feels like time to consider a new phone, especially if you're on an iPhone 6S or earlier. 

If you haven't bought an iPhone in the last year, however, you're going to be in for a few major changes, especially if you opt for the extra-large iPhone XS Max, which is a pretty big departure from iPhones of years past.

Here are the six biggest things you'll notice when making the switch:

SEE ALSO: Here's how the new $400 Apple Watch Series 4 compares to last year's model, the Apple Watch Series 3

1. The screen

The most notable thing about the iPhone XS Max is the screen — the big, beautiful screen. 

First and foremost, the XS Max has an OLED display, which no older iPhones have, save for the iPhone X. Blacks look blacker, whites look whiter, and the whole display is just more gorgeous and immersive than what you're probably used to on an LCD screen. 

Besides being a better display, it's going to be much bigger than what you're used to, too. It's the largest display of any iPhone, ever, and goes nearly edge-to-edge (save for the notch at the top, and some thin bezels along all four sides). 

2. The size and weight

Beyond having a great big screen, the XS Max has a great big body, too. It's the biggest, heaviest iPhone Apple sells, and also the largest phone it's ever made. 

Here are the specs:

• Height: 6.20 inches (157.5 mm)
• Width: 3.05 inches (77.4 mm)
• Depth: 0.30 inch (7.7 mm)
• Weight: 7.34 ounces (208 grams)

Compare that to the iPhone 6, which is 5.44 inches by 2.64 inches and weighs just 4.55 ounces, and it's pretty striking. If you're used to your small, lightweight phone, you may be in for a bit of a shock. 

3. The camera

When I compared my iPhone 6S to the iPhone 8 Plus last year, I was taken aback by how little difference there was between the two cameras, which were two generations apart. While the 8 Plus won in a few situations, there wasn't enough of an improvement to warrant buying the new device for the camera alone. 

One year later, that's no longer the case. 

I've been using the XS Max for about a week, and every time I switch back to my own phone, I'm disappointed by how my photos look. The camera isn't as sharp and it doesn't perform half as well in low light, and the colors look dull. Plus, my old phone can't do things like portrait mode on both the front and rear cameras. 

It's officially gotten to the point where the 6S (and, I imagine, the phones that came before it) feel outdated, camera-wise.

• The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and separated East and West Berlin.
• The wall divided families and took away basic human rights.
• On November 9, 1989, people gathered at the wall to begin tearing it down after it was announced by the East German Communist Party that citizens of the German Democratic Republic could cross the border whenever they pleased.

This week marks the 29th anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall.  

Built in 1961, the wall divided East and West Berlin. Constructed by the eastern, Soviet-ruled portion of the city, the wall was meant to keep Western "fascists" from invading the East — but it also served as a barricade to those Easterners attempting to migrate to the West, capitalist territory.

The barbed-wire-topped wall divided families and took away basic human rights, keeping the population of East Berlin trapped inside Soviet territory. At 12 feet tall and 4 feet wide, the wall and its surrounding security systems were known as "The Death Strip," as nearly 100 people were killed in their attempt to cross its miles of trenches and trip-wire machine guns.

On November 9, 1989, it was announced by the East German Communist Party that citizens of the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, could cross the border whenever they pleased. That night, mayhem ensued at the border. Many who lived in the East crossed freely to the West for the first time in nearly 30 years, and citizens even began chipping away at the wall.

Ahead, see photos from that infamous night and the nights that followed.

(Editor's Note: Sarah Jacobs contributed to the original version of this report)

SEE ALSO: Stark photos show what street food is like in North Korea

East German soldiers act as a barricade, blocking West Berliners waiting to welcome East Berlin citizens at the Allied guardhouse "Checkpoint Charlie" November 9, 1989.

When the clock struck midnight, all the checkpoints along the wall were forced to open.

Berliners carried hammers and chisels to begin chipping away at the wall.

• California is dealing with several dangerous wildfires. The Woolsey and Hill fires are burning on the outskirts of LA, and the Camp Fire in northern California destroyed an entire town in less than a day.
• The flames are being fueled by dry, hot conditions as well as strong winds.
• People in San Francisco, more than 170 miles from the Camp Fire, woke up to a hazy sky and extremely poor air quality.
• Another small brush fire started Friday morning near the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park, and quickly scorched three acres.
• California wildfires are becoming so frequent and pervasive that officials there say there's almost no need for the term "wildfire season" anymore.

Three dangerous wildfires are raging in California.

The Camp Fire, in northern California, started Thursday morning and quickly charred the entire town of Paradise, which is home to 27,000. The flames grew so fast — a pace of 80 football fields per minute— that five people were burned to death in their cars, the Butte County sheriff said. As of 10:32 a.m. PT, fire officials reported the blaze had burned 70,000 acres in just over 24 hours, and was 5% contained.

To the south, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, two smaller fires also started Thursday and are now creating havoc for drivers and forcing homeowners to flee. The Woolsey and Hill Fires are burning through parts of Ventura and LA Counties. The flames have threatened the homes of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and shut down stretches of the 101 freeway.

Inside the city limits of LA, another smaller fire broke out Friday morning in Griffith Park near the zoo. Firefighters there are scrambling to reach the area by helicopter, since it's not accessible by truck.

Already this year, 7,578 fires have burned across California, fueled by hot, dry conditions and aggressive winds.

Camp Fire claims at least 5 lives

The Camp Fire started about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday. So far, roughly 2,000 structures have burned and another 15,000 are threatened.

According to the Butte County sheriff's office, the five people whose deaths have been confirmed were found near Edgewood Lane in Paradise, California, in "vehicles that were overcome by the Camp Fire." The sheriff's office was not yet able to identify those victims because of their burn injuries. Other residents ran from the fire, the Sacramento Bee reported.

California Acting Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Butte County because of the Camp Fire Thursday, and sent a letter to President Donald Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asking for federal assistance.

Smoke from that fire is blanketing wide swaths of northern California in a gray haze. On Friday morning, people in San Francisco woke up to the smell of smoke and poor air quality, and some donned masks to protect their lungs.

Federal air monitors have suggested that older adults, children, teens, and people with heart and lung conditions should limit their time outside because of the high number of dangerously small pollutants in the air. The air in San Francisco right now is as bad as Beijing, CBS reported.

The Hill and Woolsey Fires are growing in Ventura and LA counties

So far, the Hill Fire has burned at least 6,000 acres in Ventura County, and mandatory evacuation orders are in place for people at the Point Mugu Naval Base and California State University Channel Islands, among other areas.

The Woolsey Fire (the one that forced Kim and Kourtney Kardashian out of their homes) has charred 14,000 acres, and the LA County Fire Department said the blaze was 0% contained as of 1 p.m. PT on Friday. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in areas including Malibu, Topanga, and Thousand Oaks (the same city where a mass shooter killed 12 people on Wednesday), the LA Times reported.

"Imminent threat! Malibu lakes residents must leave area immediately," the LA County fire department wrote on Twitter Friday morning.

Shortly after noon on Friday, the City of Malibu said on its website that the "fire is now burning out of control and heading into populated areas of Malibu. All residents must evacuate immediately."LA County Sheriff's Deputies were knocking on doors there, telling everyone in the star-studded beach town to get out.

You can view the full evacuation orders on the Ventura County Emergency Information site and the LA County Woolsey Fire site.

So far, there are no reported injuries or deaths from either fire. But as a result of the blazes, 88,000 homes in Ventura and LA counties had been evacuated as of Friday morning, the Times said.

Firefighters are racing to keep flames from charring people's homes, but as the LA Fire Department's Eric Scott pointed out on Twitter, some houses are better protected than others, since green vegetation can help keep flames back.

On Friday morning, less than 24 hours after the two fires broke out, acting Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Read More: A California wildfire just demolished an entire town and forced the Kardashians to evacuate. Here’s why wildfire season is getting longer and stronger.

The fires have forced the 101 freeway to shut down in a couple different areas. In Ventura County, a nine-mile southbound stretch from Wendy Drive to Lewis Road where the Hill Fire raged, was closed. In LA County, a section of the freeway from the Mulholland Drive/Valley Circle Boulevard exit to Reyes Adobe Road was closed to traffic both ways after flames from the Woolsey Fire jumped across the highway.

Many of the Ventura County public schools closed on Friday, as well as Pepperdine University, Moorpark Community College, California State University Channel Islands, and Cal Lutheran University.

Wildfire "season," in California used to run from late summer through the fall, since autumn's Santa Ana winds help blow flames around. But as the planet heats up, unseasonably high temperatures and drought conditions are becoming more common. So fire officials in the state are succumbing to the idea that fires may not be limited to any specific season anymore.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

SEE ALSO: A California wildfire just demolished an entire town and forced the Kardashians to evacuate. Here’s why wildfire season is getting longer and stronger.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A 'firenado' is a real thing — here’s how the dangerous phenomenon forms

• Moderna Therapeutics, a buzzy startup with a $7 billion private valuation, filed paperwork on Friday to go public. 
• According to a regulatory filing, Moderna President Dr. Stephen Hoge has a compensation package worth almost $24 million, rivaling the paychecks of some of big pharma's most high profile CEOs. 

One of the most highest-valued private companies in biotech is finally going public. 

Moderna Therapeutics, a company developing treatments based on messenger RNA, has racked up a private valuation of $7 billion. On Friday, it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to go public and raise $500 million. 

Read more: A biotech unicorn valued at more than $7 billion just took a big step towards going public

Among the disclosures in Moderna's S-1 filing was the compensation for some of the company's top executives. 

Noticeably, Moderna's president, Dr. Stephen Hoge, had a compensation package worth almost $24 million in 2017, according to the filing. That included a salary of $542,308, a $4,400,000 bonus, and $19,000,000 in stock options. 

In comparison, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel made $6.8 million in 2017, while Moderna CFO Dr. Lorence Kim made $9.3 million. 

Hoge, 42, joined Moderna in 2013, and became president in 2015. Hoge got his MD at the University of California- San Francisco and worked at McKinsey & Co from 2005 to 2012. 

Hoge's compensation package rivals the paychecks of CEOs like Pfizer's Ian Read, who made $27.9 million in 2017 and Regeneron CEO Len Schleifer, who made $26.5 million that year. 

Zach Tracer contributed reporting. 

See also: 

• Meet the 10 richest billionaires in healthcare, whose ranks include a doctor and heirs to pharmaceutical empires
• One of the biggest drugmakers in the world thinks it has 26 billion-dollar drugs in the pipeline — here's what they aim to treat

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What if the most powerful nuclear bomb exploded in space

Between all of the holidays and pseudo-holidays (hi, Friendsgiving), end-of-year gatherings tend to involve plenty of food, festive games, enthusiastic gift-giving, and tasty drinks. If you find yourself hosting a holiday party, coming up with a solid bar-cart game plan will save you time, money, and stress, allowing you to fully enjoy the event. One easy way to minimize your drink-related woes is to swap your loaded table of liquor and mixers for a large-format cocktail capable of serving the whole party.

INSIDER consulted bartenders, beverage directors, and event experts from around the country to gather their favorite holiday-appropriate big-batch cocktails, and we're bringing you 13 recipes perfect for your November and December party life.

Apple Cider Mimosas are perfect for a holiday brunch.

Got a holiday brunch in the works? Give your traditional mimosas a seasonal spin by swapping out the OJ for some apple cider, as chef, blogger, and Instagrammer Jason Goldstein of Chop Happy suggests in this delicious day-drinking specialty.

Ingredients:

• 2 Bottles of Prosecco (or Champagne), chilled
• 2 Bottles of apple cider, chilled
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp pumpkin spice seasoning
• 12 slices of apple to garnish

Method:

1. Mix the sugar and the pumpkin spice seasoning.
2. Dip the top of each champagne flute in water and then into the sugar/pumpkin spice mixture to create a flavorful rim for each glass.
3. Combine the Prosecco and apple cider in a punch bowl and mix well.
4. Garnish each glass with an apple slice.

Serves 12.

The Waterbury Royale transitions watermelon from summer vibes to holiday vibes.

Yeah, it's the holidays, but we don't need to do away with "summertime" cocktail flavors. Watermelon can be plenty festive, as proven by the Waterbury Royale, a refreshing vodka cocktail from Brooklyn bar/restaurant/party venue/coworking space Freehold. It's totally fine to serve this one in a regular punch bowl...but if you can get your hands on a swan-shaped one, that definitely won't hurt.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz vodka (Freehold recommends Absolut Elyx)
• 10 1/2 oz watermelon juice
• 8 oz lime juice
• 8 oz simple syrup
• 8-10 oz Champagne or sparkling wine
• Fresh lime wedges and watermelon Sour Patch Kids

Method:

1. Combine vodka, watermelon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a punch bowl with ice and stir.
2. Ladle into glasses and top with sparkling wine.
3. Garnish with fresh lime wedges and 4-5 watermelon Sour Patch Kids per glass (optional).

Serves 12.

Bourbon Chai Punch is the perfect cozy, cold-weather drink.

In the context of cool-weather cocktails, bourbon stands above other liquors as an absolute champion. It's smoky, woodsy, smooth, buttery- the ideal libation for eggnogs, hot toddies, and holiday punches. During this time of year, lead bartender John Henderson of The Happiest Hour in NYC likes to whip up a shareable bourbon-based cocktail with gentle spice and classic autumn flavors.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups strong chai tea, brewed
• 2 cups apple cider
• 3 cups bourbon (Henderson prefers Maker's Mark)
• 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups maple syrup
• 2 cups hard dry cider
• 4 dashes orange bitters (Henderson prefers Fee Brothers West Indies)
• 4 cups sparkling water
• Apple slices, for garnish
• Lemon slices, for garnish
• Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Method:

1. Combine chai tea, apple, and hard ciders, bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, and bitters in a punch bowl and stir.
2. Immediately before serving, top with sparkling water and add a few generous scoops of ice.
3. Garnish glasses with apple slices, lemon slices, and cinnamon sticks.

Serves 8-10.

• California is currently dealing with several dangerous wildfires.
• One fire has reached the Hidden Hills home of Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West, according to TMZ.
• Flames are reportedly on the property and threatening to destroy the Wests' mansion. The family members and their staff have been evacuated.
• TMZ reports that Caitlyn Jenner's home in Malibu has already been destroyed.

Multiple wildfires currently raging in California have now threatened multiple Kardashian-Jenner compounds.

TMZ is reporting that flames can be seen on the Hidden Hills property owned by Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West.

The mansion is "in grave danger of being consumed by flames," according to the website. Kardashian West has since addressed the report on Twitter, but seems unsure of the exact nature of the situation.

"I heard the flames have hit our property at our home in Hidden Hills but now are more contained and have stopped at the moment," she wrote. "It doesn’t seems like it is getting worse right now, I just pray the winds are in our favor."

She also thanked the California firefighters.

TMZ's sources say that the family's staff and security team have now been completely evacuated. Kardashian West, West, and their children evacuated early Friday morning.

"Pray for Calabasas," Kardashian West wrote on her Instagram story. "Just landed back home and had one hour to pack up and evacuate our home. I pray everyone is safe."

West assured fans on Twitter that his family is safe.

TMZ has also reported that Caitlyn Jenner's home in Malibu has already been completely destroyed by flames.

The mansion in Southern California "is the same area where the Woolsey fire is burning out of control," TMZ reports. "Our sources say the home went up in flames Friday as the fire burned toward Malibu."

Officials issued a mandatory evacuation for all of Malibu on Friday.

Jenner has not issued any updates about her home or her safety on social media.

Representatives for Jenner, Kardashian West, and West didn't immediately return INSIDER's request for comment.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: There's so much CO2 in the atmosphere that planting trees can no longer save us

• Crystal City, Virginia, is a likely contender for Amazon to build its second headquarters HQ2, and the fact that it's near Washington, D.C. is "well timed" as Amazon competes for a massive $10 billion cloud contract with the Pentagon, analysts say.
• Still, both Amazon and Microsoft investors should be paying attention, as Microsoft also has a strong chance in winning the contract.
• There's an estimated $20 billion in cloud spending up for grabs from the government, and whoever wins the contract will also likely become the biggest player in the cloud business.
• "I don't think the timing of Amazon moving its headquarters near D.C. is coincidental," an analyst told Business Insider.

Crystal City, Virginia has emerged as one of the top contenders for the site of Amazon's so-called HQ2 headquarters— and now that Amazon is competing for a $10 billion cloud contract with the Department of Defense, it's a "well timed move," analysts say.

The DoD contract, called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, is a 10-year deal that will be awarded to a single company to move the Pentagon's data onto a cloud. Bids for this massive contract closed in October, but now that bids are being reviewed, investors in Microsoft and Amazon should pay attention, say analysts at financial firm Wedbush Securities.

"Let's just put it this way. I don't think the timing of Amazon moving its headquarters near D.C. is coincidental," Daniel Ives, Managing Director of Equity Research at Wedbush Securities, told Business Insider.

It's really a two-horse race for the contract, and while Amazon has been seen as the frontrunner, Microsoft has put in significant effort in the past year to narrow the race. And the implications go beyond the deal itself — it could completely transform the cloud industry, especially if Microsoft wins. An award is expected in April 2019.

This is the biggest government cloud deal ever, but winning JEDI has a domino effect. Whoever wins this contract will be well-positioned to win future government contracts — analysts reckon that there's $20 billion in cloud spending up for grabs from the government.

Plus, there's a stamp of credibility — it would be hard for enterprise customers to turn down a cloud company that was selected by the federal government itself.

"Many investors have underappreciated the ripple effect of whoever gets JEDI," Ives said. "Whoever gets JEDI, it's not just about the $10 billion over the last decade. There would not be a better mark of credibility than to get this deal. Investors are trying to understand, is it just an Amazon, or does Microsoft have a shot to win JEDI from the grips of [Amazon CEO Jeff] Bezos?"

Don't expect Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump to go on vacation together

That could be why Amazon is considering moving its headquarters to Virginia, analysts say. With a base of operations near Washington, D.C., Amazon could boost its presence in federal circles.

Microsoft has an office in Washington, D.C. as well, but if Amazon builds HQ2 in Crystal City, its massive campus with 25,000 employees would easily dwarf Microsoft.

"As Amazon looks to have their employees in the shadow of the Pentagon, JEDI is a big component of how they will build out their presence within the beltway," Ives said. "To have a headquarters in and around the beltway shows that Amazon is significantly focused on their federal presence."

Read more: As bidding closes, Amazon's cloud is the favorite to win a $10 billion defense deal. Here's why everybody else is so mad about it

Still, Microsoft has invested significant amounts of money, time and effort into its government cloud, certifications, and security for classified documents. If Microsoft wins, it would be a "crowning achievement" for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

"It would have a significant ripple effect for cloud," Ives said.  "With DOD going to cloud with Microsoft, it's hard to argue with that sales pitch."

And politics could be a small factor, too. It's no secret that President Donald Trump and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos aren't on the best terms, so in addition to investment in its Azure government cloud, this is where Microsoft could swoop in.

And unlike the hesitation from Google to work with the military, Microsoft is all in, saying it will sell artificial intelligence technologies to the Pentagon.

"It's no secret about Trump and Bezos. I don't expect them to be going on vacation together," Ives said. "For Bezos and Amazon to own the cloud at DOD as the sole victor, within the beltway, there's a lot of views that would not like to see Amazon as the sole winner. There's definitely a complex political environment."

Either way, cloud investors should keep an eye on the JEDI deal.

"For any investor in the cloud space, it should be on their radar," Ives said. "It's the ripple effect it could have on the cloud landscape."

SEE ALSO: Thoma Bravo, Apttus' new owner, turns to damage control with partners like Salesforce and faces questions over an exec's $26 million golden-parachute package

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The first woman in space almost didn't make it back to Earth and she had to keep it a secret for 30 years

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.

Emerging markets are going to be essential for e-commerce growth, as retailers in developed markets may soon reach saturation in terms of consumer growth.

For example, almost half of US households now have a Prime membership, diminishing Amazon's growth potential in the country. Meanwhile, in China, the world's largest e-commerce market, nearly half of the population is actively making online purchases, leaving little room for growth. 

However, India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America are worth keeping an eye on. E-commerce penetration rates in these areas hover between 2-6%, presenting a huge opportunity for future growth as online sales gain traction. Moreover, these regions are expected to grow at compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 31%, 32%, and 16%, respectively, through 2021.

This report compiles several e-commerce snapshots, which together highlight the most notable emerging markets in various regions. Each provides an overview of the e-commerce industry in a particular country, discusses influential retailers, and provides insights into the opportunities and challenges for that specific domestic industry.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Emerging markets are going to be essential for e-commerce growth, as retailers in developed markets may soon reach saturation in terms of consumer growth.
• India is the clear overall leader in e-commerce potential, but countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America are also worth keeping an eye on. Within Southeast Asia, Indonesia shows the most promise for retailers, as the government is loosening restrictions on foreign investments, and its massive population is gaining spending power and more access to internet. Meanwhile, Mexico is a retailer's best bet for expansion in Latin America, due to its stable economy and rising middle class, but Brazil may be gearing up to steal the top spot.
• However, doing business in these regions can be difficult. In most of these emerging markets, infrastructure is underdeveloped and the population is largely unbanked, making digital payments a challenge.
• If retailers can build a brand presence in these markets while online shopping is still in its nascent stages, they may become market leaders as e-commerce takes off in the regions. Moreover, these markets could provide new sources of growth for companies that would otherwise stagnate in more mature e-commerce markets.

 In full, the report:

• Explores the e-commerce industry in India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
• Highlights the leading country in each region, as well as key e-commerce players there. 
• Outlines the challenges and opportunities each region faces.
• Gives insight into how these emerging markets may shape the future of e-commerce.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Amazon customers are complaining about package delivery delays.
• Many of the delays could be due to a tornado that ripped through an Amazon sortation center in Baltimore last week. The storm caused a 50-foot wall to collapse, killing two workers.
• The company has also been clarifying that its two-day shipping promise ensures that customers will get their package two days from the time it's handed over to the carrier, not two days from the time of ordering.

Amazon is facing a surge of customer complaints over delayed deliveries.

"Why is @amazonprimenow all of a sudden taking 10 days?" Michelle Hennessy tweeted on Friday. "I pay for the subscription for guaranteed 2 days. This sucks..."

Another person tweeted Friday: "Is it me or is @amazon Prime starting to slip in this whole 2 day delivery guarantee?"

Amazon tweeted that the delays could be tied to severe weather that hit one of its sortation centers in Baltimore a week ago. A tornado in the area caused a 50-foot wall in the 4-year-old building to collapse, killing two workers.  

"Severe weather caused damage to a sortation center on Friday evening," the company tweeted in response to several customer complaints. "Deliveries associated with this facility are experiencing delays. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to quickly resolve this issue!"

The company has also been clarifying its two-day shipping promise in response to unhappy customers.

Many customers believe Prime's two-day shipping promise means they will get their delivery in two days from the time of ordering.

But the two-day window doesn't begin until the package is handed to the shipping carrier, Amazon says.

This is a commonly misunderstood tenet of Amazon Prime's two-day shipping offer. 

"Prime Two-Day Shipping refers to the transit time, in business days, once the item has shipped," the company tweeted Friday to several customers. 

SEE ALSO: Amazon is launching a new delivery program and hiring thousands of drivers, with a warning against 'peeing in bottles'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why this Bovet watch costs over $450,000

• Three wildfires are burning in California. The Camp Fire, located north of the San Francisco Bay Area, has already claimed at least five lives.
• 2018 was already a record-breaking year for California wildfires: the largest blaze in state history burned nearly 460,000 acres over the summer.
• These destructive fires are part of an alarming trend: 12 of California's 15 biggest wildfires ever have occurred since the year 2000.
• As the planet continues to warm, this pattern is likely to get worse.

The Camp Fire in northern California has spread so fast that five people were killed in their cars as flames overtook the vehicles. The blaze destroyed the entire town of Paradise, California, and has burned 70,000 acres in less than two days. As of Friday morning, it was just 5% contained.

In the southern part of the state, meanwhile, areas of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties have been ordered to evacuate as flames from two fires threaten homes in Malibu, parts of Topanga, and Thousand Oaks (the same city where a gunman killed 12 people on Wednesday).

The blazes add to the immense tally of destruction in what was already a record-breaking year of fires in California. In July and August, the Mendocino Complex Fire burned nearly 460,000 acres, making it the state's biggest wildfire ever.

According to an analysis from the nonprofit Climate Nexus, all of these large blazes are part of an unmistakable trend: 12 of the 15 biggest fires in California's history have occurred since the year 2000.

Between 1930 and 1999, there were only six fires that burned over 100,000 acres in California, according to Climate Nexus.

The chart above ranks fires by acres burned, but when comparing the costs of wildfires, California's October 2017 fires rank at the top. Those blazes scorched grapevines across the state's wine country and triggered over $9 billion in losses.

Larger blazes also mean an increase in fire-related expenditures. Climate Nexus calculated that in the 2017 fiscal year (which ended in October), California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spent a total of $505 million fighting fires. Twenty years ago, in 1997, the state spent only $47 million.

Climate change is partially to blame for this trend — which means it will continue

Because of rising temperatures and more drought, the average wildfire season now lasts at least 2 1/2 months longer than it did in the early 1970s. The amount of land that has burned in the western US since 1984 is double what would have been expected without the effects of climate change.

Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown called the wildfires a "new normal" for California.

"This could be something that happens every year or every few years," Brown said, per the Los Angeles Times.

Indeed, California's 2018 Climate Change Assessment report estimates that the average area burned in wildfires will increase 77% by 2100 in a business-as-usual scenario (as in, if nothing is done to dramatically reduce greenhouse-gas emissions).

Although wildfires in the states used to be considered a seasonal risk — due to the state's rain-less summer and fall and strong Santa Anna winds — that is no longer the case.

"Fire season is now year-round," Los Angeles County's official website says.

SEE ALSO: An explosive wildfire is moving through a California city, and it's showing no signs of stopping — see photos from the scene

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A driver in Los Angeles filmed huge smoke rising from a growing brush fire

• On Friday, Facebook released a direct competitor to TikTok, called Lasso. 
• Lasso is a social video app that caps posts to 15-seconds and lets creators add their favorite songs to play in the background. 
• The features and design of Lasso are almost identical to TikTok. 
• Facebook's new, standalone app is a direct target at the growing user base of TikTok, which in September was the most downloaded social app in the US. 

Facebook has cloned another popular social app. And it's called Lasso. 

The world's largest social network is essentially re-creating its own version of TikTok, the 15-second video app that's become increasingly popular in the US. In September, TikTok was the most downloaded social app in the US. 

Read more: A viral video app you've probably never heard of had more downloads in September than Facebook, YouTube, or Snapchat

Facebook's Lasso functions almost exactly the same as TikTok. Videos are capped at 15 seconds, and users can add their favorite tunes to play in the background. Facebook told Business Insider that users will be able to choose from millions of songs in its licensed catalog. 

New videos are seemingly endless — just swipe up for more content to be served your way. As The Atlantic's Tayor Lorenz pointed out on Twitter, it appears that Facebook seeded content on Lasso with videos that were already on TikTok. 

Reports of Lasso's creation were leaked by TechCrunch two weeks ago. 

“It’s basically TikTok/Musically,"a source told TechCrunch in the report. "It’s full-screen, built for teens, fun and funny and focused on creation.”

The rollout of Lasso on Friday was quiet, with no official statement from the company on its website. When asked about the new release by Business Insider, a Facebook spokesperson said: "We're excited about the potential here, and we'll be gathering feedback from people and creators.”

Though Facebook seems to be playing it cool with the Lasso release, the company knows what's at stake. TikTok's fun layout and interactions have attracted the attention of a young demographic and as of June, the company said it had 500 million users worldwide. 

Facebook is no stranger to cloning an app to kick out an incumbent. 

Instagram Stories notoriously copied the ephemeral nature of Snapchat, and by June of this year, it had twice as many users (400 million). Interestingly, Facebook had launched its original Snapchat killer — a standalone app called Slingshot — in June of 2014. By December 2015, however, Slingshot was no longer available in the App Store. 

With the release of Lasso, the short-form video space is heating up. Just yesterday, Vine founder, Dom Hofmann, announced that his new 6.5-second looping video platform, byte, will launch in spring 2019. 

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg joined a private Facebook group for Harvard memes and group members are loving it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A running coach explains how to get through the NYC marathon this weekend

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.

Edge computing solutions are key tools that help companies grapple with rising data volumes across industries. These types of solutions are critical in allowing companies to gain more control over the data their IoT devices create and in reducing their reliance on (and the costs of) cloud computing.

These systems are becoming more sought-after — 40% of companies that provide IoT solutions reported that edge computing came up more in discussion with customers in 2017 than the year before, according to Business Insider Intelligence’s 2017 Global IoT Executive Survey. But companies need to know whether they should look into edge computing solutions, and what in particular they can hope to gain from shifting data processing and analysis from the cloud to the edge.

There are three particular types of problems that edge computing solutions are helping to combat across industries:

• Security issues. Edge computing can limit the exposure of critical data by minimizing how often it’s transmitted. Further, they pre-process data, so there’s less data to secure overall.
• Access issues. These systems help to provide live insights regardless of whether there’s a network connection available, greatly expanding where companies and organizations can use connected devices and the data they generate.
• Transmission efficiency. Edge computing solutions process data where it’s created so less needs to be sent to the cloud, leading to lower cloud storage requirements and reduced transmission cost.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence examines how edge computing is reducing companies' reliance on cloud computing in three key industries: healthcare, telecommunications, and the automotive space. We explore how these systems mitigate issues in each sector by helping to efficiently process growing troves of data, expanding the potential realms of IoT solutions a company can offer, and bringing enhanced computing capability to remote and mobile platforms.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• In healthcare, companies and organizations are using edge computing to improve telemedicine and remote monitoring capabilities.
• For telecommunications companies, edge computing is helping to reduce network congestion and enabling a shift toward the IoT platform market.
• And in the automotive space, edge computing systems are enabling companies to increase the capabilities of connected cars and trucks and approach autonomy.

In full, the report:

• Explores the key advantages edge computing solutions can provide.
• Highlights the circumstances when companies should look into edge systems.
• Identifies key vendors and partners in specific industries while showcasing case studies of successful edge computing programs.

  Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

  	This report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports
  	Access to all future reports and daily newsletters
  	Forecasts of new and emerging technologies in your industry
  	And more!

  Learn More
  

  Purchase & download the full report from our research store

Join the conversation about this story »

• Though Black Friday became one of the biggest and busiest shopping days of the year, it hasn't always been that way.
• Before it exploded into the national, post-Thanksgiving event we know today, it was reportedly a quirky tradition unique to Philadelphians.
• And now, the holiday is experiencing more changes.
• Here's the evolution of Black Friday, from its 19th-century namesake to the dying shopping phenomenon it is today.

Black Friday has long been associated with turkey dinner and bargain-priced holiday shopping.

It's turned into one of the most profitable days for retailers, who raked in $8 billion from Black Friday and Thanksgiving sales in 2017.

But it wasn't always that way.

Here's how Black Friday has evolved over the last two centuries.

SEE ALSO: Photos show what 'Black Friday' looks like around the world

DON'T MISS: 11 insider facts most Black Friday workers know — and you probably don't

The day after Thanksgiving has long marked the beginning of the holiday shopping season, starting with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924.

Source: Business Insider

The behemoth retailer used the event as a living and breathing advertisement ahead of the holiday season.

Source: Business Insider

It helped cement the Friday after Thanksgiving as the ultimate holiday shopping day.

Source: INSIDER

Flames are racing along the southern California coastline as firefighters work to contain the fast-moving Woolsey Fire. The blaze has already scorched 14,000 acres on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and the nearby Hill Fire has charred 6,100 acres in Ventura County.

They're just two of thousands of California wildfires recorded this year. Meanwhile, to the north, the Camp Fire has killed five people and leveled the entire town of Paradise.

Both of the LA-area fires started Thursday afternoon, and though no deaths have been reported, many people have had to leave behind their beloved pets and homes and flee. 

Here's a glimpse at the devastation in southern California so far.

SEE ALSO: 3 dangerous fires are burning across California, and 5 people died in their cars as they tried to escape

The beach city of Malibu is home to about 13,000 people. On Friday, as flames from the Woolsey Fire raced towards the coast, the entire town was forced to evacuate.

Shortly after noon on Friday, the City of Malibu said on its website that the "fire is now burning out of control and heading into populated areas of Malibu. All residents must evacuate immediately."

Source: Business Insider

Stars including Alyssa Milano, Melissa Etheridge, director Guillermo del Toro, and the Kardashian sisters all had to leave their homes in the area.

Milano said she packed up her "kids, dogs, computer," and Doc Marten boots and headed for shelter.

Sources: @Alyssa_Milano, @RealGDT, Business Insider, @metheridge

• Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker reportedly counseled top DOJ officials on how to counter President Donald Trump's demands for investigations into his political adversaries, while at the same time advising the White House on how it could force the DOJ to investigate those same claims.
• In conversations with Trump, Whitaker is said to have cast himself as a staunch loyalist and promised he would "extract as much as he could from the Justice Department on the president's behalf."
• Whitaker is now in charge of the Russia investigation and the special counsel Robert Mueller, and Friday's news is just the latest in a series of revelations that throw Whitaker's independence from the White House into question.

In May, Matthew Whitaker, then the chief of staff to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, was reportedly counseling top DOJ officials on how to counter President Donald Trump's fervent demands to investigate the baseless claim that the FBI "infiltrated or surveilled" his 2016 presidential campaign.

At the same time, Whitaker was advising the White House on how to force the DOJ to investigate those very same claims.

That's according to a new report from Vox, which said Whitaker presented himself as a sympathetic ear when Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein agreed that giving in to Trump's demands would amount to improperly politicizing the DOJ and the FBI.

On the other hand, Vox reported, Whitaker was in talks with the White House about how Trump could best pressure Sessions and Rosenstein to cave.

One person close to Whitaker told Vox that he was merely trying to calm the rising tensions between Trump and the nation's top law-enforcement officials.

But two other sources told the outlet that when talking to the president, Whitaker cast himself as a staunch loyalist and promised he would "extract as much as he could from the Justice Department on the president's behalf." Whitaker also had several private phone calls with either Trump or the White House chief of staff John Kelly during this time.

This week, Trump ousted Sessions and announced that Whitaker would take over as acting attorney general until Trump nominates and the Senate confirms a permanent replacement.

Read more:'Seriously? This guy?': Matthew Whitaker's appointment as acting attorney general has FBI and DOJ officials in a 'daze'

The West Wing's 'eyes and ears' in the DOJ

In his new role, Whitaker is now in charge of the Russia investigation and the special counsel Robert Mueller. Vox's report is just the latest in a series of revelations that throw Whitaker's independence into question.

Once described as the West Wing's "eyes and ears" in the DOJ, Whitaker made the rounds on right-wing media over the last two years claiming without evidence, that there was "no collusion" between the Trump campaign and Russia.

While he was Sessions' chief of staff, Whitaker reportedly met with Trump in the Oval Office over a dozen times. And according to The Washington Post, whenever Trump complained about the ongoing Russia investigation Whitaker "often smiled knowingly and nodded in assent."

He also said in a CNN op-ed last year that Mueller had overstepped his mandate by digging into the Trump Organization's finances.

And late Thursday, audio footage resurfaced of Whitaker claiming the "left is trying to sow this theory that essentially Russians interfered with the US election, which has been proven false. They did not have any impact in the election."

The US intelligence community concluded last year that Russia mounted an elaborate campaign to meddle in the 2016 election to elevate Trump to the presidency. The assessment did not reach a conclusion about whether Russia's meddling had an impact on the results.

In another recording reported on by Mother Jones, Whitaker said the president cannot obstruct justice and can kill any investigation he wants.

The Post reported that despite Whitaker's controversial remarks about Mueller and the Russia probe, the acting attorney general has no plans to recuse himself, even if DOJ ethics officials urge him to do so. Sources also told The Post that Whitaker would likely oppose a request from Mueller to subpoena the president if it came down to it.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he does not know Whitaker.

But in an interview with Fox & Friends last month, Trump called Whitaker "a great guy," adding, "I mean, I know Matt Whitaker."

SEE ALSO: 'Seriously? This guy?': Matthew Whitaker's appointment as acting attorney general has FBI and DOJ officials in a 'daze'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This top economist has a radical plan to change the way Americans vote

• Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson announced that his company will commit $1 million to support homelessness programs.
• This comes after 60 percent voted "yes" to San Francisco's homelessness measure "Prop C" on Tuesday, but this measure, which would bring the city $300 million in funding for homelessness programs, is likely to face legal disputes that could keep the funding on reserve for years.
• Twilio previously did not take a position on Prop C, but Lawson says Prop C should motivate San Francisco business leaders to take action on homelessness.

After San Franciscans voted "yes" on the hotly debated homelessness measure called "Prop C," Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson announced that his company will commit $1 million to support homelessness programs.

Leading up to the election, the cloud communications company did not take a position on Proposition C. However, other tech giants in the city were especially vocal -- notably Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff who advocated for Prop C, and Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, who spoke out against it.

"As we thought about it, there were so much attack, so much personal attacks," Lawson told Business Insider. "To me, the biggest positive outcome [of Prop C] is kicking action on homelessness to the top of the leaders of the city's mind. Obviously we see the problem but there wasn't a lot of action on it."

Lawson announced Twilio's commitment Thursday night at an event where he was honored as one of San Francisco Business Times' Most Admired CEOs. Earlier in the week, Lawson watched Twilio's stock soar 35% after delivering blockbuster quarterly financial results. 

On Tuesday night, Prop C won 60 percent among San Francisco voters. But the measure is likely to face legal challenges in the coming months, so Lawson says he wants to make help contribute to the cause right now. 

"Let's get it done," Lawson said. "Our thinking is how can we start funding initiatives that get the process for Prop C started? If there's a challenge before funds can be deployed, why don't we start now?"

"This issue tore apart our cities"

Twilio didn't take a position on Prop C ahead of the election because it didn't "feel like our voice would add anything." But now that it's passed and with legal challenges likely to come, business leaders can work on tackling this problem now, Lawson says.

Right now, there's a legal dispute in the city on a measure to raise taxes on commercial rents to pay for child care services and early education, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. A coalition of commercial property owners sued the city in August, saying that a simple majority vote is not enough to pass this measure and it violates state law — instead, it should be a two-thirds majority, they said.

This could also potentially affect Prop C, so the city won't spend the money until this legal dispute is resolved. The massive flow of cash from this measure — $300 million a year — for homelessness programs may sit on reserve for years.

Read more: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on his Twitter beef with Jack Dorsey: You're either 'for the homeless' or 'you’re for yourself'

Lawson hopes to get other business leaders on board.

"After this election, we've come together to say we're going to address the homelessness crisis," Lawson told Business Insider. "As I was thinking about it, this issue tore apart our cities in a lot of ways. This was a difficult proposition. It's time to come together."

Although the company hasn't decided exactly where the donation will go, Twilio.org, Twilio's social impact arm, is currently evaluating options and will provide updates in the following weeks.

"We've seen several organizations in San Francisco fighting homelessness," Erin Reilly, VP of Social Impact at Twilio, told Business Insider. "We are looking at how we can support with technology, funding, and time and help folks who live in the city. Now is the time we're coming together to fight homelessness."

Below is Lawson's Tweet about Twilio's commitment.

SEE ALSO: $1.9 billion big data company Talend is acquiring a Philadelphia-based startup for $60 million to give it leverage in the cloud wars

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The first woman in space almost didn't make it back to Earth and she had to keep it a secret for 30 years

• The US and Japan were joined by Canadian forces for Keen Sword 19, which ended this week.
• The exercise was the biggest and most sophisticated the US and Japan have carried out.
• It comes amid growing tension with China in the seas and airspace of East Asia.

US and Japanese forces this week wrapped up exercise Keen Sword 19, which the US 7th Fleet commander called the "largest and most complex" field exercise conducted by the two longtime allies.

This year's exercise, in which Canadian forces also took part, featured air, maritime, and amphibious exercises involving dozens of US and Japanese ships and hundreds of aircraft.

About one-fifth of Japan's Self-Defense Force — some 47,000 troops — worked with 10,000 US service members. Canada also sent two ships and personnel. In all, this year's Keen Sword included about 11,000 more troops than the last edition of the biennial exercise.

This year's Keen Sword comes amid heightened tensions with China, whose forces have had several close encounters in recent weeks with the US Navy in the South China Sea, where China has made expansive territorial claims.

Beijing and Tokyo are also involved in disputes in the East China Sea, where both navies have been more active.

Japan has taken a number of steps to increase its military capacities in recent years.

This spring, it activated an amphibious brigade, its first such unit since World War II, which is also taking part in its first Keen Sword. Other recent firsts for Japan's military include deploying armored vehicles abroad for the first time and its first exercises in Japan with Britain.

Read also:The US military's top officer says Russia and China present different challenges — but they both can rival US power

The amphibious brigade was set up with the defense of Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea in mind. China has also claimed those islands, which are uninhabited and called the Senkaku Islands by Japan and the Diaoyu Islands by China.

During Keen Sword the JSDF amphibious unit conducted landing on beaches near the islands of Guam and Tinian, east of Japan, working with members of the US 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force.

Earlier this year, Japan criticized China for sailing a submarine close to the islands in the East China Sea, and in August Chinese warships conducted air-defense and anti-missile live-fire exercise in the East China Sea. Japan also recently did submarine exercises in the South China Sea for the first time.

Submarine activity in the South and East China seas has increased in recent years, led by China's rapid addition of more advanced subs. Keen Sword 19 also included submarine and anti-submarine-warfare exercises.

Submarine Group 7 command staff, based in Yokosuka, Japan, and the crew of a US Navy Los Angeles-class attack sub trained with their Japanese counterparts on land and at sea to practice detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging enemy targets, according to a Navy release.

The Yokosuka-based USS Ronald Reagan, the Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, also took part in Keen Sword's anti-submarine-warfare drills.

During the first weekend of November, F-18 Super Hornets were taking off the Reagan about once every minute to practice sortieing and to support the ASW drills.

"We go out there. We work with the Japanese and they tell us what the problem is, where to go and what to search for," Naval Air Crewman 3rd Class Ronald Pierpoint said in a Navy release. "It helps us grease our gears working with real submarines and, at the end of the day, we go over our training to get better and better."

Now read:After some touch-ups, the Air Force's biggest plane is ready to soar for decades, but the service has other transport problems to solve

Commander, Task Force 72, the Navy maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft within the 7th Fleet, was also present. CTF-72 carried out 13 flights with both P-3C Orion and P-8A Poseidon — the latter of which is considered one of the most advanced maritime patrol aircraft in service — to support maritime drills during Keen Sword.

“Creating a positive relationship with 7th Fleet [anti-submarine warfare] communities is extremely important," Lt. j.g. Conner Ferguson, the plans and exercises officer for one of the patrol squadrons taking part, said in a release.

Also over the weekend, two US Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft flew from their base near Tokyo to southern Japan with US Army paratroopers to pick up JSDF paratroopers for a practice jump.

The exercise was to simulate inserting troops to an area without an airfield, one of the Air Force loadmasters involved told Stars and Stripes. The exercise was the first time that a US aircraft dropped JSDF soldiers over the Hiju-dai drop zone in Japan's Oita prefecture, on the northern coast of Japan's Kyushu Island.

"We don’t always get the opportunity to drop Japanese forces,"said Capt. Jeff Larkin, the unit commander, calling the drill "another exciting moment for us because we can fly in an atypical environment."

"They jumped safely and accurately," US Army Master Sgt. Nathan Greer, a US Army Alaska jump master overseeing the jump, said of the JSDF troops involved. "This is most important thing for jumpers, and they were professionals during the airborne operation."

US Air Force pilots based at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa also participated, practicing command and control, aerial refueling, air defense, and escort operations.

Working with Japanese fliers was not a new experience for those US pilots, but last-minute changes to the exercises they were conducting helped enhance the training effect, Lt. Col. Nichelle Somers, a KC-135 pilot instructor, told Air Force Magazine.

The exercises forced pilots to plan and fly the same way they would if they were in Iraq or Afghanistan, Somers said.

"These exercises are key because this is what keeps us ready to 'fight tonight,'" Somers added.

SEE ALSO: The US military's top officer says Russia and China present different challenges — but they both can rival US power

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Japan is landing hopping robots on an asteroid

• On Friday, Apple announced that two of its products — the iPhone X and the 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) — have known hardware issues.
• Apple said that some iPhone X screens do not respond or intermittently respond to touch.
• For the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Apple said some devices might have an issue that causes data loss or drive failure.
• Customers with eligible devices can have both issues fixed for free at an Apple retail store or with an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

On Friday, Apple announced that two of its products — the iPhone X and the 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) — have known hardware issues. Bloomberg first reported on these issues after being posted on Apple's support pages on Friday.

Apple said that on some iPhone X devices, display screens are experiencing touch issues. Those issues include:

• The screen, or part of the screen, does not respond or responds intermittently to a user's touch.
• The screen reacts even when a user hasn't touched it.

The company said users with eligible iPhone X devices can have their display modules replaced for free at one of its retail stores or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

According to the Bloomberg report, iPhone X users had been complaining about touch issues online for months. Also, interestingly, the iPhone X was on the market for less than one year after being discontinued in September following the release of the iPhone XS and iPhone XR.

A similar touchscreen issue crept up in 2016 with the iPhone 6 Plus. To repair the problem back then, however, Apple charged it's customers $149.

Read more:Apple just announced it will fix iPhones with Touch Disease for $149

Apple also confirmed that its 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) sold between June 2017 and June 2018 might have an issue that causes data loss or drive failure.

The company said affected laptops could be serviced at one of its retail locations or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for free as well. To know if your MacBook Pro needs to be serviced, you'll need to enter your device's serial number on Apple's support page.

Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

SEE ALSO: The 6 biggest differences you need to know about when switching from an older iPhone to the iPhone XS Max

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: First impressions of the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL