Wildfires have been spreading through California for days, causing destruction and leading residents to evacuate their homes. Some celebrities, like Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, have lost their homes, while others have partially destroyed residences.

Amid efforts to rebuild areas affected by the raging wildfires, stars have made sizable donations, delivered supplies, and encouraged fans to help by any possible means. 

Keep reading to learn more about the celebrities who have contributed to relief efforts. 

Sandra Bullock donated $100,000 to the Humane Society of Ventura County.

The foundation is currently working to rescue and care for evacuated animals as long as necessary. 

"Sandra Bullock and her family have reached out to other nonprofit organizations both during this incident and in the past,"HSVC shared on their site. "However, this time she wanted to contribute to those on the front line rescuing animals in peril and hope others will choose to do the same."

Khloe Kardashian went to CVS and picked up supplies for firefighters.

"I know the brave men and women that are working so hard, tirelessly for all of us will greatly appreciate it," she said. "So please just do whatever you can, even if it's one bottle of water, one container of eye drops, one granola bar, anything. I know they would appreciate it." 

Kris Jenner also posted a list of useful products needed by first responders on Instagram. 

Lady Gaga delivered boxes of pizza, hot coffee, and gift cards to a shelter.

Gaga was one of many celebrities who had to evacuate their homes.

To celebrate World Kindness Day on Tuesday, the singer shared a series of videos and photos of the good deeds she was doing, from visiting a shelter to delivering food and beverages. She also thanked Red Cross "for all you are doing to provide shelter, love, and mental support to the people of California." 

Prior to that, Gaga also stopped by a makeshift Red Cross shelter at Pacific Palisades High School, according to TMZ.

"I extend my love to each and every one of you," she said during a speech. "I know we do not know each other, but I love you. This is an emergency, but you are not alone."

• A handful of recent studies are beginning to reveal the possible health effects of e-cigarette use, and they are not all positive.
• These findings and a reported uptick in teen vaping have spurred government regulators to act.
• Researchers have found evidence of toxic metals like lead in e-cig vapor. Evidence also suggests that vaping may be linked to an increased risk of heart attacks.
• Regulators and health experts are particularly concerned about a device called the Juul, which packs the same nicotine content per pod as a pack of cigarettes.

Smoking kills. No other habit has been so strongly tied to death.

In addition to inhaling burned tobacco and tar, smokers breathe in toxic metals like cadmium and beryllium, as well as metallic elements like nickel and chromium — all of which accumulate naturally in the leaves of the tobacco plant.

It's no surprise, then, that much of the available evidence suggests that vaping, which involves puffing on vaporized liquid nicotine instead of inhaling burned tobacco, is at least somewhat healthier. Some limited studies have suggested that reaching for a vape pen instead of a conventional cigarette may also help people quit smoking regular cigarettes, but hard evidence of that remains elusive.

Very few studies, however, look at how vaping affects the body and brain. Even fewer specifically examine the Juul, a popular device that packs as much nicotine in each of its pods as a standard pack of cigarettes.

But a handful of studies published in the past few months have begun to illuminate some of the potential health effects tied to vaping. They are troubling.

With that in mind, the Food and Drug Administration outlined a new policy on Thursday morning designed to eventually curb the sale of e-cigs and reign in their appeal to young people.

Most recently, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine surveyed young people who vaped and found that those who said they used Juuls vaped more frequently than those who used other brands. The participants appeared to be insufficiently aware of how addictive the devices could be.

Most e-cigs contain toxic metals, and using them may increase the risk of a heart attack

Researchers took a look at the compounds in several popular brands of e-cigs (not the Juul) this spring and found some of the same toxic metals (such as lead) inside the device that they would normally find in conventional cigarettes. For another study published around the same time, researchers concluded that at least some of those toxins appeared to be making their way through vapers' bodies, as evidenced by a urine analysis they ran on nearly 100 study participants.

In another study published this summer, scientists concluded that there was substantial evidence tying daily e-cig use to an increased risk of heart attack. And this week, a small study in rats suggested that vaping could have a negative effect on wound healing that's similar to the effect of regular cigarettes.

In addition to these findings, of course, is a well-established body of evidence about the harms of nicotine. The highly addictive substance can have dramatic impacts on the developing brains of young adults.

Brain-imaging studies of adolescents who begin smoking traditional cigarettes (not e-cigs) at a young age suggest that those people have markedly reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex and perform less well on tasks related to memory and attention, compared with people who don't smoke. Those consequences are believed to be a result of the nicotine in the cigarettes rather than other ingredients.

Nicholas Chadi, a clinical pediatrics fellow at Boston Children's Hospital, spoke about the Juul at the American Society of Addiction Medicine's annual conference this spring. He said these observed brain changes were also linked to increased sensitivity to other drugs as well as greater impulsivity. He described some anecdotal effects of nicotine vaping that he'd seen among teens in and around his hospital.

"After only a few months of using nicotine," Chadi said, the teens "describe cravings, sometimes intense ones." He continued: "Sometimes they also lose their hopes of being able to quit. And interestingly, they show less severe symptoms of withdrawal than adults, but they start to show them earlier on. After only a few hundred cigarettes — or whatever the equivalent amount of vaping pods — some start showing irritability or shakiness when they stop."

A new survey suggests that teens who use Juul e-cigs aren't aware of these risks

The Juul, which is made by the Silicon Valley startup Juul Labs, has captured more than 80% of the e-cig market and was recently valued at $15 billion. But the company is facing a growing backlash from the FDA and scientists who say the company intentionally marketed to teens.

On Tuesday, the company responded to some of these concerns — first by announcing that they'd be temporarily banning the sale of their flavored products at retailers and by deleting their social media accounts, which some research suggests has allured more young customers.

Read more: $15 billion startup Juul used 'relaxation, freedom, and sex appeal' to market its creme-brulee-flavored e-cigs on Twitter and Instagram — but its success has come at a big cost

Yet very little research about e-cigs has homed in on the Juul specifically.

So for a study published this week, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine surveyed young people who vaped and asked them whether they used the Juul or another e-cigarette.

Their results can be found in a widely accessible version of the Journal of the American Medical Association called JAMA Open. Based on a sample of 445 high-school students whose average age was 19, the researchers observed that teens who used the Juul tended to say they vaped more frequently than those who used other devices. Juul users also appeared to be less aware of how addictive the devices could be compared with teens who vaped other e-cigs.

"I was surprised and concerned that so many youths were using Juul more frequently than other products," Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a professor of pediatrics who was a lead author of the study, said in a statement.

"We need to help them understand the risks of addiction," she added. "This is not a combustible cigarette, but it still contains an enormous amount of nicotine — at least as much as a pack of cigarettes."

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley e-cig startup Juul 'threw a really great party' to launch its devices, which experts say deliberately targeted youth

DON'T MISS: Vaping instead of smoking still exposes you to toxic metals like lead — here's how worried you should be

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NOW WATCH: E-cigarette explodes in man's pocket leaving him with second-degree burns

• Saudi officials on Thursday claimed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was innocent in the death of Jamal Khashoggi, and said it requested the death penalty of five people over the killing.
• Experts — from government officials, country experts, and Khashoggi's editor — rebuked those claims of innocence.
• But Saudi Arabia's exoneration might work anyway, as the kingdom has deep business ties that few seem to want to break over Khashoggi's killings.

Top Saudi officials attempted to clear their crown prince from journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing on Thursday by claiming that he had no knowledge of it.

Experts called the claims "ludicrous," but Riyadh's exoneration will probably help to turn the page on the Khashoggi crisis, keep Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in power, and keep investments rolling in anyway.

Saudi officials: Our absolute monarch is absolutely innocent

The Saudi Public Prosecutor's office on Thursday said it indicted 11 suspects over Khashoggi's killing and requested the death penalty for five of them, who were charged with "ordering and committing the crime."

It added that Saudi agents originally wanted to bring Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia alive, but killed him after "negotiations" for the journalist's return failed.

Read more: Saudi prosecutor claims Crown Prince Mohammed innocent, seeks death for 5 others in Khashoggi killing

A spokesman for the prosecutor added that Crown Prince Mohammed had no knowledge of the killing, according to Agence France-Presse.

Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, echoed that claim, telling a separate press conference on Thursday: "Absolutely, his royal highness the crown prince has nothing to do with this issue."

He added that "sometimes people exceed their authority," suggesting that the people who killed Khashoggi acted without the crown prince's approval.

Crown Prince Mohammed functions as an absolute monarch in Saudi Arabia with control over courts and legislation. Saudi courts likely did not have free reign to examine increasing evidence that suggested people with close ties to the crown prince were involved in Khashoggi's death.

Read more:US intelligence reportedly thinks Khashoggi's killers informed Saudi's crown prince once the 'deed' was done

"So ludicrous I don't even know where to start"

Numerous experts — including government officials, country experts, and Khashoggi's editor — sharply rebuked Saudi's latest claims.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, said that the Saudi prosecutor's Thursday statement was not "satisfactory" and called for "the real perpetrators need to be revealed"— suggesting that the suspects indicted in the case were acting on someone else's orders.

Turkey conducted the only investigation of the consulate not controlled by the Saudi monarchy.

Earlier this month Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan accused the "highest levels" of the Saudi leadership of being behind the killing — heavily pointing fingers at, but without naming, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Robert Jordan, the former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, also doubted Riyadh's claims that the kingdom's agents only wanted to negotiate with Khashoggi, telling CNN: "You don't bring a bone saw to a negotiation."

Ali Soufan, a former FBI special agent and terrorism expert, tweeted: "The aim of this Saudi 'investigation' is to protect MBS — the real subject — by finding sacrificial lambs to blame."

Karen Attiah, Khashoggi's editor at The Washington Post, refuted the Saudi exonerations of the crown prince. The CIA intercepted Saudi officials discussing a plan ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed himself to lure Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia and detain him there, she tweeted, citing a Washington Post article that published last month.

Iyad el-Baghdadi, the president of the Kawaakibi Foundation think tank, described Saudi Arabia's claims that Crown Prince Mohammed didn't know anything about the killing as "ludicrous."

He tweeted: "The very suggestion that a hand-picked team of Saudi killers could be put together, given resources, then a kill plan devised and implemented to kill the most prominent non-royal Saudi on the planet, all without MBS's knowledge = so ludicrous I don't even know where to start."

Read more: How the Saudi government's story on Khashoggi has shifted over time

Why "ludicrous" might be good enough

The kingdom likely issued the indictments to give off an impression to the international community that it still cared about the case, and to encourage international businesses to continue investing in Saudi Arabia, said HA Hellyer, a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council and the Royal United Services Institute in London.

"The attention of the international community cannot be held forever by this case, and Riyadh is obviously trying to ensure that the perception accountability for Khashoggi's murder is being pursued," Hellyer told Business Insider.

"That's important to give cover to those in the international community — especially in the business community — to continue to engage on a financial level with Riyadh," he added.

Multiple businesses have come under pressure to cut ties with the kingdom, but few have taken proper action.

Saudi Arabia has lucrative deals around the world, particularly in US tech and military. President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted a $110 billion arms deal he negotiated with the kingdom last year, and refused to cancel those contracts over Khashoggi's killing.

Uber's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, said on Wednesday he was "anxious" for more details about Khashoggi's death, but said the kingdom still deserved a seat on its board until "we get the facts and understand exactly what happens."

The tech company has taken $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, and its biggest shareholder is SoftBank, whose Vision Fund is also backed by Saudi Arabia.

Within the kingdom, where Crown Prince Mohammed developed multiple social and economic reforms — named "Vision 2030"— Khashoggi's death is "less of an issue," Hellyer said, as "it seems clear the king wants to keep the crown prince in place, and that's what matters."

The Washington Post reported earlier this month that people in Saudi Arabia' rural areas described Khashoggi's death as a tragedy, but far from their daily lives. Many of those who had heard about the case refused to believe the crown prince was involved.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The FAA's International Air Safety Assessment (IASA) program determines whether a country and its airlines will be allowed to fly into the United States.
• IASA inspectors determine whether entire countries, rather than specific airlines, meet the international standards set by the United Nations. 
• Airlines from countries that fail to pass inspections will not be allowed to launch new flights into the US. 

Commercial aviation is booming. More than four billion people traveled by air last year. According to data from the International Air Transport Association, global passenger traffic grew by 8.1% during 2017. During the first half of 2018, air travel grew 7%. 

However, as interconnected as global air travel may be, countries around the world still have differing standards in terms of their safety, technical, and regulatory frameworks. 

As a result, the US and the European Union have instituted screening programs to determine whether a nation and their airlines meet international standards.

In fact, the EU publishes a list of airlines banned from its airspace due to their failure to satisfy regulators. The US, one the other hand, does not evaluate individual airlines, but rather a country's ability to follow international standards set by the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization or ICAO. 

Read more: The 20 safest airlines in the world.

A team of lawyers and inspectors from the US Federal Aviation Administration screen each nation that operates flights to the US as part of the International Air Safety Assessment (IASA) program. 

Each country is evaluated by the FAA on eight "critical elements" including its primary aviation legislation, specific operating regulations, state civil aviation system and safety oversight functions, technical personnel qualification and training, and resolution of safety concerns. 

Countries deemed by the FAA to have failed to comply with ICAO standards will not be allowed to launch new service into the US. Failing countries with existing service will be allowed to continue its US flights but under heightened FAA surveillance. In addition, any expansion or alterations to their US operations will not be permitted.

One workaround available to airlines from countries that have failed the FAA inspection is wet-lease aircraft from countries permitted to fly into the US. In a wet lease, the lessor provides the aircraft complete with crew, maintenance, and insurance. As a result, the airline or leasing company from the country that complies with standards maintains operational control of the flight. 

Here's a look at all of the countries that meet and fail to meet FAA standards: 

SEE ALSO: The 10 best airlines in the world for 2019

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• Federal regulators on Thursday proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes and a move to place flavored e-cigarettes like the Juul behind a stronger regulatory fence.
• The move is less severe than what some expected to see: an immediate ban on flavored e-cigs being sold at convenience stores and gas stations.
• Menthol and mint e-cigarettes aren't affected by the government's proposal.
• Earlier this week, the Silicon Valley e-cig startup Juul announced it would temporarily stop selling its flavored e-cigarettes in stores — a move it probably made in anticipation of the government's latest statement.

Instead of announcing what was expected to be a sweeping and immediate ban on flavored e-cigarettes like the Juul, government regulators on Thursday proposed banning regular menthol cigarettes and revisiting a year-old policy designed to put new e-cig products behind a stronger regulatory fence.

Food and Drug Administration's commissioner Scott Gottlieb said his agency would revisit its policy as it applied to all flavored e-cigs except for tobacco, mint, and menthol varieties. The FDA didn't provide a timeline for the changes in its statement. 

The changes Gottlieb aims to see, he said, would protect teens and minors by ensuring those products are sold only in locations that cater exclusively to adults. Online sales would also be allowed "under heightened practices for age verification," he said.

The move may surprise Juul Labs, the Silicon Valley startup that has 80% of the e-cig market.

Earlier this week, the company announced its own immediate (albeit temporary) ban on flavored e-cigs at all retail stores.

"As of this morning, we stopped accepting retail orders for our Mango, Fruit, Creme, and Cucumber Juul pods to the over 90,000 retail stores that sell our product, including traditional tobacco retailers and specialty vape shops," Juul CEO Kevin Burns said in a statement on Tuesday.

Read more: Juul will soon stop selling flavored e-cigarette packs in retail stores, but a workaround could make the ban pointless

Juul's move was most likely made in anticipation of an expected similar action from the FDA, experts say. Last week, The Washington Post reported that the agency would ban "most flavored e-cigarettes in tens of thousands of convenience stores and gas stations across the country."

But the FDA didn't ban flavored e-cigs on Thursday.

A ban on menthol cigarettes and a plan to eventually put e-cigs behind a stronger regulatory fence

Instead of banning flavored e-cigarettes, the FDA on Thursday proposed barring the sale of menthol cigarettes, which Gottlieb said he believed "represent one of the most common and pernicious routes by which kids initiate on combustible cigarettes." FDA also plans to propose a ban on flavored cigars.

He also outlined plans to eventually regulate e-cigs more strictly using a policy he initially proposed last year and then waived.

Thanks to that policy, any e-cig introduced before August 2016 was essentially grandfathered in to the market, meaning its makers did not have to seek FDA approval to sell their products until at least 2022.

That waived policy has been the door through which e-cig companies like Juul were able to aggressively market and sell their products.

Read more: $15 billion startup Juul used 'relaxation, freedom, and sex appeal' to market its creme-brulee-flavored e-cigs on Twitter and Instagram — but its success has come at a big cost

Gottlieb said he hoped that revisiting that policy would place e-cigs back behind a regulatory fence and ensure that they are marketed and sold in a responsible manner that doesn't target youth.

The government is also publishing new data that suggests a troubling increase in e-cig use among teens. From 2017 to 2018, Gottlieb said, there was a 78% rise in e-cig use among high-school students and a 48% increase among middle-school students.

"These data shock my conscience," Gottlieb said in the statement.

"The bottom line is this: I will not allow a generation of children to become addicted to nicotine through e-cigarettes," he added.

'Most scientists believe flavorings are used to target teenagers'

Flavors have been at the epicenter of much of the debate around young people and e-cigarettes. 

Experts say e-cig varieties like Apple Pie, Watermelon, and even Hot Sauce are designed intentionally to hook teens on nicotine, a highly addictive substance that's especially influential on a developing brain.

"Most scientists believe flavorings are used to target teenagers into becoming users,"Ana Rule, a professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University who was an author of a recent study on e-cigs and teens, told Business Insider this summer.

"There are of course many other factors such as marketing and peer-pressure, but when you look at the flavoring names, one has to wonder."

In Juul's statement announcing its own temporary halt on flavored e-cigs, the company acknowledged that its flavored varieties might appeal to youth.

Other regulators have taken action on flavors as well. 

Over the summer, San Francisco residents voted to pass a sweeping tobacco-flavor ban that barred the sale of flavored e-cigs as well as menthol cigarettes. Several big names including former Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York came out in support of the ban, suggesting at the time that it could spur similar moves in other cities.

"This vote should embolden other cities and states to act, because it demonstrates the public will not allow tobacco companies to stand in the way of policies that are proven to reduce smoking and save lives," he said in a statement.

Read more:San Francisco has passed a sweeping ban that should scare the $23 billion vaping industry

With these moves and the Washington Post story in mind, many experts believed the FDA would crack down immediately on both flavored e-cigs and menthol cigarettes today. But while the menthol cigarette ban is directly outlined in the new policy, no such ban is outlined with regard to flavored e-cigarettes.

Instead, flavored e-cigs will still be widely available — so long as the locations they are sold in follow age-restriction protocols.

"The changes I seek would protect kids by having all flavored [e-cig] products ... sold in age-restricted, in-person locations and, if sold online, under heightened practices for age verification," Gottlieb said in the statement.

SEE ALSO: The FDA is preparing to crack down on e-cigs like the Juul — here’s why vaping is so dangerous

DON'T MISS: $15 billion startup Juul used 'relaxation, freedom, and sex appeal' to market its creme-brulee-flavored e-cigs on Twitter and Instagram — but its success has come at a big cost

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Clothing brand Ororo sells heated apparel for men and women on Amazon.
• Its heated soft shell jackets ($139.99) are getting rave reviews from customers.
• The jacket features heating elements across the chest and mid-back areas, which are powered by a battery pack in the left pocket.
• People are calling it a "must have," though some pointed out issues with the sizing and weight of the battery pack. 

Winter is fast approaching, which means it's crunch time in the search for the perfect cold-weather gear. While celebrities are making puffer jackets one of the must-have items of the season, it looks like heated clothing might also become a literally hot item. 

Clothing brand Ororo sells a variety of heated clothing items ranging from vests to windbreakers, and its heated soft shell jackets are getting some rave reviews from Amazon customers.  

The $139.99 jacket — which we first spotted on Marie Claire— features built-in heating elements across the chest and mid-back areas with three heating levels to choose from.

It's powered by a rechargeable battery pack that sits in the jacket's left inside pocket. The brand claims the battery pack will last for up to eight hours of use, and can also be used as a portable smartphone charger. 

Both the men's and women's jackets are getting mostly positive reviews on Amazon, with people calling them "a must have" for the winter. Others wrote that the heating elements work "super quickly" and that "the battery works like a champ." 

Some people pointed out a few flaws, with some writing that it "runs small" and pointing out that they found the size of the battery "bulky."

The jacket isn't the only heated item on the market. Jimmy Choo recently released a pair of heated boots as well.

Read more:Jimmy Choo is selling heated boots for $1,795 that will keep your feet warm all winter

Find out more about Ororo's line of heated apparel on its website and on Amazon here.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, where are the best places to buy ornaments to decorate you so beautifully?

• It might not inspire you to burst into song, but if you want a great selection of holiday ornaments to suit just about any style, it’s hard to go wrong with Cost Plus World Market's selection of ornaments.

Whether you go all-out decorating for the holidays, prefer to keep things low key, or live somewhere in the middle, there’s always something magical about the sight of a Christmas tree loaded with twinkling lights and beautiful ornaments, a lovely tree skirt spread underneath, and a heaping of colorfully wrapped gifts arranged under the branches.

And while some of the most meaningful ornaments are those you or your children made by hand, it’s still undeniably true that the majority of tree décor in most people’s holiday stash is purchased.

Although you’ll find Christmas ornaments for sale just about everywhere within days of Halloween, that doesn’t mean those ornaments are, well, nice. That’s why we decided to do some of the heavy lifting for you this holiday season, and round up some of the very best places to buy Christmas ornaments.

Here are the best places to buy ornaments for your tree:

• Best ornaments overall: Cost Plus World Market
• Best personalized and collectible ornaments: Bed, Bath & Beyond
• Best ornaments if you’re just starting out: Target
• Best handmade ornaments: Etsy
• Best funny or themed Christmas ornaments: Amazon

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks. Also, if you're doing holiday gift shopping, you can check out all of our 2018 gift guides on Insider Picks.

The best ornaments overall

Why you'll love it: Whether you’re looking to add some dazzle, tradition, or fun to your Christmas tree, Cost Plus World Market has you covered.

As you might expect, Cost Plus World Market has lots of ornaments that celebrate travel, from a passport to hang on your tree and the Union Jack, to felted Mexican Day of the Dead skulls. But that’s not all you’ll find. Cost Plus World Market offers a wide range of ornaments in lots of different styles.

Looking for a felted wool canine Christmas caroler? You found him. How about a glittery winter wonderland inside a glass cloche? They have that, too. Or maybe your tastes run more towards the culinary. In that case, you’ll love the set of a hand-blown glass hotdog and hamburger.

Of course, if you prefer something more traditional, there are plenty of pinecones, glass balls, gingerbread men, and snowmen ornaments to choose from.

Because the prices are quite reasonable, you could easily cover an entire tree with one trip to the store, but plan on taking your time deciding on your purchases. There are so many wonderful ornaments here, it’s going to be hard to choose.

Retro pinecone elves? Why not? Glass cloche with the Eiffel Tower inside? You got it. How about my personal favorite, felted wool hugging sloths? Whether you’re shopping for your own holiday tree or looking for gifts to give family, friends, or coworkers, it’s hard to beat Cost Plus World Market on the holiday front.

Pros: Huge selection of reasonably priced ornaments with many unusual themes as well as traditional and handmade designs

Cons: If you’re just looking for a big container of basic shatterproof ball ornaments, this isn’t your store

Buy ornaments at Cost Plus World Market for $4 to $50

The best personalized and collectible ornaments

Why you'll love it: Bed, Bath & Beyond is one of the best places to stock up on popular high-end collectible Christmas ornaments, as well as personalized ornaments. 

If you’ve ever wondered what comes “beyond” the bed and the bath at Bed, Bath & Beyond, I’ve got your answer: Christmas ornaments. Because the popular destination for all things related to the home has a great selection.

You might think Bed, Bath & Beyond is just a great place to buy sheets and bath towels. And you mostly would be right, but remember the “beyond” in the name. That means all sorts of great stuff for the home, including a fantastic selection of Christmas ornaments.

One of the best things at the shop is the large selection of personalized-for-free offerings, including simple circles, hearts, and my favorite, bears. Personalized ornaments make it easy to commemorate all of the good things that happened during the year, and are always a popular gift, as well.

Or maybe you’re looking for an ornament to give your favorite graduate, doctor, or golfing enthusiast. You’ll find lots of other hobby or profession-specific ideas, and just about all of them can be personalized if you’d like.

But where Bed, Bath & Beyond really shines on the ornament front is in the great selection of high-end collectible ornaments from companies like Waterford, Lenox, Swarovski, and Spode. You’ll find the yearly collections of these popular brands, as well as old favorites, and all at reasonable prices.

Pros: Excellent selection of collectible and personalized ornaments

Cons: Not a huge selection of quirky, untraditional, or “fun” ornaments

Buy ornaments at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $2.99 to $251.99

The best ornaments if you’re just starting out

Why you'll love it: Target has a wide selection of affordable ornaments that will help you deck out your first tree if you're starting from scratch.

Maybe it’s your first Christmas in your very own place, or maybe you like changing up your ornament selection periodically. Whatever the reason, if you need to decorate your tree from scratch, head to Target. You can cover your entire tree with the great assortment of ornaments, and you’ll still have money left for your Christmas gift list.

You’ll find a nice assortment of individually sold ornaments at Target, but if you need to cover an entire tree on a fairly small budget — or you just want to fill in the gaps — skip the singles and head straight to the collections. Target carries quite a few wonderful four-packs.

You’ll find adorable rustic snowmen, knit cactus plants, and even a set of colorful reindeer and llamas — you can bet these are going to grace my tree this year. Mix-and-match your four-packs, and you’ll soon cover your tree with your favorite themes. Most of the four-packs are $12.

If you want to simplify things, you’ll find a rainbow of shatterproof balls and other shapes in packs of eight to 50. Go for a riot of color, stick with an elegant metallic theme, or mix your favorite two colors — The options are nearly endless. Prices range from $5 to $20 depending on the size of the collection.

Pros: Low prices for large collections of ornaments, lots of color choices

Cons: Some of the plastic ornaments are a bit cheap looking

Buy ornaments at Target for $3 to $20

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday via Twitter that Tesla customers now have until November 30 to guarantee delivery by the end of the year.
• Deliveries taken before the end of this year are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit, which will be cut in half for Tesla customers starting January 1.
• When asked how Tesla had gained access to new trucking capacity, Musk said the automaker had bought multiple trucking companies and signed contracts with others.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday via Twitter that Tesla customers now have until November 30 to guarantee delivery by the end of the year after the automaker purchased trucking companies and signed contracts with others. Deliveries taken before the end of this year are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit, which will be cut in half for Tesla customers starting January 1.

Tesla had previously set an October 15 deadline for customers to guarantee delivery before the end of 2018.

"Tesla just acquired trucking capacity to ensure Model 3 can be delivered in US by Dec 31 if ordered by Nov 30," Musk said.

When asked how Tesla had gained access to new trucking capacity, Musk said the automaker had bought multiple trucking companies and signed contracts with others.

"We bought some trucking companies & secured contracts with major haulers to avoid trucking shortage mistake of last quarter," he said.

Tesla did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on which companies Tesla acquired and how much the acquisitions cost.

Read more: Tesla is getting rid of a perk new Model S and Model X customers loved

The US government gives people who buy electric vehicles a tax credit between $2,500 and $7,500, depending on the vehicle's size and battery capacity. As Tesla wrote in an annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in February, its customers get the full $7,500. But two calendar quarters after a company sells its 200,000th electric vehicle in the US, the tax credit begins to phase out. Tesla confirmed to Business Insider in July that it had passed the 200,000-vehicle threshold.

Tesla customers who take delivery between January 1 and June 30, 2019, will receive a $3,750 tax credit, and those who take delivery between July 1 and December 31, 2019, will receive $1,875. Customers who take delivery beginning in 2020 will not receive a federal tax credit.

Have a Tesla news tip? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.

SEE ALSO: Another senior Tesla employee has left the company — here are all the key names who have departed this year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why you shouldn't be afraid to fly, according to a pilot with over 20 years of experience

• JCPenney CEO Jill Soltau said during a call with investors on Thursday that resolving the retailer's high inventory levels was one of her most immediate priorities. 
• The department store reported its third-quarter earnings results on Thursday. Inventory levels were down 5.4% versus the same time the year before. 

• On a recent visit to a JCPenney store in New York, we were overwhelmed by the massive amount of inventory on display. 

In a call with investors on Thursday morning, JCPenney's new CEO, Jill Soltau, was asked by an analyst what she felt should be improved in its stores based on her early experiences. 

Soltau, who was appointed to the position just over a month ago, was reticent to make any solid commitments just yet, save one: inventory management. 

"I do see us as over assorted, and certainly we have had high inventory levels," she said. 

Reducing inventory levels is now front and center of Soltau's strategy for the future. On Thursday, the retailer reported that inventory levels at the end of the third quarter were $3.22 billion, down 5.4% versus this time last year. Same-store sales numbers were also down 5.4%. 

"In spite of our overall sales results, I am encouraged by the recent underlying trends in key businesses such as women's apparel, active, special sizes and fine jewelry. We are making progress and taking the necessary steps to right-size our inventory positions to better support the brands and categories that are demonstrating profitable sales growth," Soltau said in a press release on Thursday. 

During a visit to one of JCPenney's New York stores in May, Business Insider was overwhelmed by the amount of inventory on display. Each department was brimming with racks of clothing, swimwear, toys, and accessories that were so tightly packed together that it made it impossible for any brand to really stand out. 

Read more:We visited JCPenney a day after its CEO resigned abruptly and were overwhelmed by what we found

These sentiments have been echoed by analysts, who say its bloated and confusing assortment is turning off shoppers. 

"Clothing at JCPenney has become a hotchpotch of randomness brought about by a constantly shifting view of who the chain should target," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, wrote in a note to clients on Thursday. "This has left customers both confused and unimpressed. Satisfaction scores for apparel shopping have plummeted over recent years and customers have defected as a result."

And now, according to Saunders, some of JCPenney's better brands are being lost in the mayhem.

"In our view, Peyton and Parker is nicely designed and curated, but the effect is lost in most stores and on JCPenney's website where the label gets completely drowned in a sea of merchandise and general clutter," Saunders wrote.

SEE ALSO: Retail experts warn that JCPenney's new CEO may not be able to fix the company's massive problems

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Alibaba turned a fake holiday into a $25 billion shopping extravaganza that's bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined

• I've driven many electric cars — and every vehicle Tesla sells. I've also endured some mishaps and adventures when it comes to charging.
• Tesla has an extensive network of Superchargers, but if you don't trust the vehicle to guide you to them and calibrate charging times, you can still get into trouble.
• This requires a adjustment, if you're used to traveling in gas-powered cars and refueling at plentiful gas stations.

I've driven a lot of electric cars, and for a few years, I always tried to test one during my summer sojourns to my kids' sleepaway camp. I've had to change that pattern of late because I typically need a big SUV or pickup truck to transport up to four kids, two adults, and their gear. But for a couple of years, the roughly 240-mile round trip was a perfect EV test.

Of course, when driving electric, one must be mindful of how much juice is in the battery — and where the nearest charging options might be. This continues to be a work in progress. Even Tesla, with its widespread Supercharger network, can't cover every, single eventuality.

As I learned the hard way several years ago, when I drove to camp in a Model S P90D with Ludicrous Mode — then the baddest, fastest, coolest Tesla in all the land. (At least until the P100D arrived in early 2017.) The idea was to see if this four-door luxury "family car" with supercar-beating acceleration — zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, claimed — could handle a journey of decent length, with maxed-out passengers and cargo. Quite a test, eh? And with a few scheduled stops to dine, take in the sights, and recharge the battery.

Our adventure began on a pleasant Sunday in July, and all initially went according to plan. Until it didn't. Read on to learn all about our most excellent misadventure with the world's most famous electric car. And what I learned from it!

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The pearl-white Tesla, equipped with everything, landed in the driveway of our suburban New Jersey test car HQ.

My Prius was intimidated.

Our Tesla was the Model S sedan ...

This is Business Insider's politics live-blog charting the latest developments as May's Brexit deal continues to unravel. Refresh the page for updates.

LONDON — Theresa May is facing the biggest test of her premiership after a chaotic day in Westminster saw multiple ministers including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Work & Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resign in protest at her Brexit plans.

McVey and Raab's resignations followed a gruelling five-hour Cabinet meeting on Wednesday in which the prime minister tried to persuade sceptical ministers to support the deal she has negotiated the European Union.

While a majority of her Cabinet has agreed to stay in their position and support the draft agreement, May has dozens of government resignations, and MPs from all sides of the House of Commons have lined up to criticise the draft deal.

Pro-Brexit Conservative MPs loathe the deal because it means the UK will be in a customs union with the EU for years after Brexit, unable to sign meaningful trade deals with other countries, without the unilateral right to leave. 

PRESS CONFERENCE SNAP VERDICT: Unfazed May is 'only delaying the inevitable reckoning she faces

What does May's press conference mean for her leadership prospects?

Here the snap verdict from Business Insider's UK political editor Adam Bienkov, who was in the room.

"There were a few seconds at the start of Theresa May's press conference this afternoon when it appeared that she may be about to resign. Her opening comments were pitched in such a way that the assembled press pack in the room took a collective intake of breath. However, it soon became clear that nothing had changed and she was in fact merely confirming that she is pushing ahead with her existing plans.

"And as holding statements go, this was a pretty effective one. The prime minister seemed relatively relaxed and unfazed by questions on her future, even managing to crack a couple of jokes. In thepast, May has publicly cracked under extreme pressure — most notably during her 2017 Conservative conference speech — but she did not crack today. Her enemies may be circling, but there was little sign from today's press conference that she is willing to go down without a fight.

"The problem for May is that unfazed as she appears today, the reality of her position remains a bleak one. The events of the past 24 hours have made it abundantly clear that she does not have the numbers to get her deal through parliament and may even be forced to stand down before she has a chance to put it to the test. By continuing to refuse to face up to that reality she is only delaying the inevitable reckoning she faces."

18:03: Is Michael Gove about to resign?

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg is reporting that Environment Secretary Michael Gove could be about to resign. He has reportedly held a meeting with the prime minister which likely means one of two things. He's either accepted the vacant Brexit secretary job, or he's resigned. It's more likely to be the latter.

17:41: May stays quiet on Gove reports

Responding to reports that Michael Gove rejected the newly vacant role of Brexit secretary, May kept quiet.

She said: "Michael has been doing an excellent job at Defra … I haven’t appointed a new DxEU secretary and I will of course be making new appointments to the government in due course."

TheInsider Picksteam writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place.

1. Save up to 40% on Dell PCs and electronics

Dell is getting a head start on Black Friday by starting the deals early. Right now, you can save up to 50% on laptops, PC, tablets, monitors, smart home gadgets, audio equipment, and a lot more. Discounts are taken off automatically, so there's no need for a promo code.

Shop the Dell Black Friday sale now.

2. Save up to 53% on Thanksgiving Dinner combos at Omaha Steaks

Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. If you're hosting dinner this year and need a little help preparing a well-rounded menu, Omaha Steaks has everything you'll need — from turkeys and hams, to sides and desserts. For a limited time, you can save up to 53% and get free shipping on combos.

Shop all Thanksgiving Dinner Combos at Omaha Steaks now.

3. Save $30 on the Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition Bundle

The Echo Dot Kids Edition uses the power of Alexa to act as a kid-friendly DJ, comedian, and storyteller. When you purchase this bundle, you'll also receive a year of FreeTime Unlimited, which gives your kids access to hundreds of hours of fun and educational content, audio books, ad-free radio stations, and more. The Kids Edition smart speaker comes with a protective case and a 2-year worry-free guarantee, so if they manage to break it, you'll get a replacement.

Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition 2-Pack, $109.98 (Originally $149.98)[You save $30]

4. Save 30% on everything at Cole Haan

Cole Haan is having its annual Grand Giving Event with huge discounts sitewide. Now through November 27, you can automatically save 30% on everything. Whether you're looking for winter boots, comfortable dress shoes, warm jackets, or a casual pair of sneakers, you'll be able to find it here.

Shop the Cole Haan sale now.

5. Save 25% on jeans, hoodies, and sweatshirts at Topman

Topman is a British menswear brand that focuses on affordable and on-trend clothing. To make the prices even better, the brand is having a sale of 25% off casual staples like jeans, hoodies, and sweatshirts. The discount is taken off automatically, so there's no need for a promo code.

Shop the Topman sale now.

6. Save up to 70% on holiday decor and furniture at Wayfair

With the holiday season coming up, you're going to need festive accents in and around your home and Wayfair has it all. Right now you can save up to 70% on everything you could possibly need to decorate and furnish your space. Whether you're shopping for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can get your design planning done in one place while saving big.

Shop the Wayfair sale now.

7. Save up to 40% on select Samsung TVs

TVs are always one of the most-purchased tech items on Black Friday, so Samsung is having an early sale to help you avoid the post-Thanksgiving frenzy. Right now, you can save up to 40% on select Ultra HD Smart TVs at most, that amounts to up to a $1,500 savings without any hassle.

Shop the Samsung Black Friday sale now.

8. Save up to 30% on outdoor gear and apparel at REI

REI is the one-stop shop for all outdoor camping and hiking gear, and right now is the best time to save big. Now through November 19, you can save up to 30% on a huge selection of products. The sale includes clothing, outerwear, footwear, essential camping gear, and more. Check out some of the best items on sale here.

Shop the REI sale now.

9. Save up to $225 on a Leesa mattress

This Black Friday, popular mattress startup Leesa Sleep is having one of its biggest sales ever. For a very limited time, you can save $150 on the Leesa Mattress or $225 on the Sapira Mattress, plus get a free Leesa pillow — a $75 offer. If buying a mattress online concerns you, know that you can try it out for 100 nights free of risk. If it's not the best sleep you've ever had, you can return it hassle-free.

Shop the Leesa Sleep Black Friday sale now.

Join the conversation about this story »

• I recently completed a three-day training for journalists and aid workers heading to dangerous places. As Business Insider's international correspondent, I'm regularly traveling the world.
• Over the course of the training led by Global Journalist Security, trainers put attendees in scenarios simulating active shooter situations, kidnappings, and a war zone to help us understand how we might respond in dangerous, high-stress situations.
• The most useful tactic the trainers taught me was tactical breathing, a breathing technique taught by the military to help soldiers slow their heart rate, calm down, and make rational decisions under fire.
• I'm convinced it's a skill everyone should have and practice.

Earlier this month,  I completed a grueling three-day training for journalists and aid workers heading into countries with tenuous security situations and war zones.

I learned a ton during the training — what worst-case scenarios look like, how to avoid them, and, perhaps most importantly, how I might act when the sh-t hits the fan. But the most important thing I picked up was an easy-to-learn tactic anyone could use.

Held at a nondescript warehouse in suburban Maryland, the training was led by Global Journalist Security, an organization founded in 2011 to help people going to dangerous places acquire the “physical, digital, and emotional aspects of self-protection.”

It was founded by Frank Smyth, a veteran journalist who has covered conflicts in El Salvador, Colombia, Rwanda, and Iraq, where he was held in captivity for nearly three weeks in 1991. 

I had some vague idea of what I was getting myself into. I'm traveling to Egypt, Nigeria, and Ethiopia over the next couple months and fellow journalists had recommended the course as preparation for the worst-case scenarios: kidnappings, terror attacks, active shooter situations, and war zones. How a three-day course in suburban Maryland could credibly do that was anybody's guess.

Training prepares people not to freeze or panic in worst-case scenarios

Chief trainers Paul Burton and Shane Bell, a former British Army sergeant and a former Australian Armed Forces elite commando respectively, are experts at putting people in distressed mindsets. The two have accompanied journalists and aid workers in the world's most dangerous places, been kidnapped, and negotiated kidnapping releases. They know what they're talking about.

Read More:These photos show the brutal reality of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Over the course of the training, Bell, Burton, and the rest of the GJS team thrust attendees headlong — yours truly, included — into simulations designed to trigger your adrenaline.

“You want to give people skills to stay in the moment and not freeze or go into panic mode,” Smyth told Columbia Journalism Review in 2013. “Some people will forget to yell, ‘Hey, she’s being dragged away—we have to help her!’ [The training] plants seeds, things to remember.”

I had to save a fellow aid worker from an "arterial puncture wound" that was squirting a fountain of (very real-looking) "blood" from a gaping "flesh wound." Hooded actors interrupted PowerPoint presentations firing blanks into the class as we scrambled to find cover and escape. There was a kidnapping during which I was told to "slither like the American snake that I am." And finally we were put through a final course across fields and hiking trails designed to mimic a war zone with grenades thrown, artillery shelling, landmines, and snipers.

My 13-year-old self thought it was pretty wicked. My 28-year-old self was shook. By the end, I was praying I would never have to use any of it, particularly after I "died" in the first active shooter scenario.

But that scenario came before I learned the most valuable skill Burton, Bell, and company imparted upon us: tactical breathing.

Military, police, and first responders are trained in tactical breathing 

Tactical, or combat, breathing is a technique taught by the military, the police, and first-responders. And there's increasing scientific evidence to back up the practice.

The idea behind it is simple: When entering high-stress situations, your sympathetic nervous system throws your body into overdrive. Adrenaline kicks in, your body starts to shake, and your mind races to solve the problem. 

It doesn't just happen in war zones. If you hate public speaking, it's likely to happen before you get on stage. If you're nervous about an important exam, it might kick in as the timer starts. 

What Burton and Bell hammered home is that you can't prevent this response. It's instinctual. Your brain's three options are: fight, flight, and freeze. And while you may know enough about yourself to know how you'll react when you have to make the big speech, you probably have no idea what your reaction will be during an active shooter situation or in a war zone.

Usually, in that state, you aren't thinking logically, if you are thinking at all. Flubbing the speech might not be a big deal, but if you enter that state in war zone, it could get you killed.

Tactical breathing overrides that stress response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down your heart rate and calming you down so that you can make a rational decision. 

It works like this: Breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, and exhale for four seconds. Repeat as necessary until your heart rate slows and your mind calms. Yes, it is very similar to yogic meditation breathing.

Once your mind calms, you can make a rational decision about whether its best to keep hiding or whether you need to run, rather than flailing in panic.

It's sad to say, but with 307 mass shootings in the US alone this year, that's information anyone could use. Not just war correspondents.

SEE ALSO: 20 incredible photos from one of the most legendary war photographers of all time, who was killed on assignment during the Arab Spring

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Join the conversation about this story »

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The highest-grossing movies of all time are a mixed bag of action movies, superhero movies, animated movies, and more. But the majority have one thing in common: they're just one piece in a larger franchise. 

Whether it's the Marvel Cinematic Universe, James Bond, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, Middle-Earth, Harry Potter, Transformers, or any other major pop-culture series, these are beloved across the world.

That makes the top two movies on the list, two original movies not part of a franchise (yet), all the more surprising. But the lesson there is to trust James Cameron. 

The highest-grossing movies ever are also a mix of well-reviewed and critically panned ones, from "Black Panther" to "Transformers: Age of Extinction." The list proves that, sometimes, audiences will see a movie no matter what the critics say, but great movies can also still rake in plenty of cash. 

We've provided the top 100 biggest movies of all time, based on worldwide box-office numbers from Box Office Mojo. We've also provided how much they made in the US before and after inflation, and the movies' Rotten Tomatoes' critic scores.

Below are the 100 highest-grossing movies in the world of all time:

SEE ALSO: Inside the abandoned Staten Island prison that has emerged as a prime location for movies and TV shows, including Netflix's 'Daredevil' and 'Orange Is the New Black'

100. "Gravity" (2013)

Worldwide gross: $723,192,705

Adjusted domestic gross: $301,051,800

Original domestic gross: $274,092,705

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 96%

What critics said:"Gravity is not a film of ideas, like Kubrick's techno-mystical 2001, but it's an overwhelming physical experience -- a challenge to the senses that engages every kind of dread."— David Denby, New Yorker

99. "Deadpool 2" (2018)

Worldwide gross: $734,245,921

Adjusted domestic gross: $311,045,900

Original domestic gross: $318,491,426

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 83%

What critics said: "Deadpool 2 is an R-rated, potty-mouthed splatterfest and a funny one."— Bob Mondello, NPR

98. "Up" (2009)

Worldwide gross: $735,099,082

Adjusted domestic gross: $358,962,300

Original domestic gross: $293,004,164

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 98%

What critics said: "An exquisite work of cinematic art that also happens to be the funniest, most touching, most exciting and most entertaining movie released so far this year."— Lou Lumenick, New York Post

• Many residents of Long Island City and Arlington aren't happy that Amazon will be opening its HQ2s in their neighborhoods.
• It's important to note that the HQ2s won't be built overnight, and changes will come gradually.
• Hiring will be complete in Arlington by 2030 and by 2028 in New York City. 

Since Amazon confirmed on Tuesday that it will be opening its HQ2s in New York City and Arlington, many residents are, to put it lightly, freaking out.

And with good reason. HQ2 is going to strain New York City's already-decaying subway system. The influx of six-figure labor will likely boost rents in Queens, where about a fifth of households are in poverty and housing affordability is already a struggle. In Arlington, residents said schools are overcrowded, traffic is a challenge, and housing is pricey — HQ2 is likely to augment those issues. 

Compounding those frustrations are the tax breaks Amazon will receive for adding those jobs. Amazon will get a $550 million cash grant for its Arlington office and $1.5 billion from New York. Both cities will also assist Amazon in building a helipad for Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO and the richest man on earth. 

Folks are concerned that the essential character of their neighborhoods will be forever altered. As columnist Danny Westneat wrote in The Seattle Times, "Amazon is about to detonate a prosperity bomb in your town."

Read more: Nashville will become a critical hub for Amazon's logistics business — but it doesn't mean there will also be a boom in warehouse jobs 

But missing from this panic is an important note — the neighborhoods won't be changing overnight.

According to the agreements Amazon has with New York and Virginia, the company will have years to hire all 25,000 folks to the respective headquarters. The New York office will be staffed up by 2028, while Arlington will reach 25,000 by 2030.

The hiring will be gradual, as well. Next year will bring only 400 hires to Arlington and 700 to Long Island City, according to the proposals.

Throughout the next 10 to 12 years, on average, the New York office will hire 2,500 employees per year and the Arlington office will hire around 2,100 per year. 

There also may be way more than 25,000 folks joining Amazon in each city. The proposals say there is potential for hiring to go on for the next 16 years in both cities. (That's called "Phase Two" in Virginia.)

By 2033, Amazon may have a total of 40,000 workers in Long Island City and nearly 38,000 in Arlington by 2034. 

SEE ALSO: 17 high-paying jobs Amazon's HQ2 could bring to Long Island City and Arlington

Join the conversation about this story »

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Enterprise-tech startups have been on a 12-month IPO joyride.

From MongoDB to Dropbox to Eventbrite, more than 20 startups in the enterprise-tech industry have sold shares to the public and made splashy Wall Street debuts this past year.

Unlike consumer internet companies whose products are usually free and designed for the masses, these enterprise startups create products and service that are sold to other businesses. It's a massive $3.7 trillion worldwide market, and yet these startups don't always enjoy the mainstream name recognition of their consumer counterparts.

To help you familiarize yourself with this new crop of public tech companies, Business Insider has rounded up some of the key players driving the growth and the success behind the scenes.

The names may not be as familiar as Mark Zuckerberg, and there may not be movies about them, but these 15 executives are the stars you need to know about to really understand where the red-hot Enterprise tech market is going.

SEE ALSO: Here are the biggest winners from Qualtrics' surprise $8 billion sale to SAP

Eliot Horowitz, CTO and Co-Founder of MongoDB

Eliot Horowitz is one of the founders of MongoDB, along with Kevin P. Ryan and Dwight Merriman.

MongoDB, an open-source database company based in New York, went public in October 2017. MongoDB had raised $256 million before going public with a valuation of $1.6 billion. Since then, the company's market cap has swelled to $3.6 billion under Ittycheria.  Today, MongoDB has over 30 million downloads and over 1,000 technology and service partners. 

Horowitz’s programming career began at age four when he wanted to create a chess-playing AI. And at age nine, he started programming for his mother’s medical practice.

Starting in 2007, Horowitz wrote the core codebase for the popular open-source database today. Today, as CTO he oversees the engineering and product teams. Recently, he led MongoDB in introducing new licensing to prevent major cloud companies from selling its software without open-sourcing it.

Before MongoDB, Horowitz also co-founded an online retail search engine called ShopWiki, which he built and later sold in 2010. Horowitz had also worked as a software developer in DoubleClick.

In 2006, Horowitz was listed in BusinessWeek’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs Under Age 25, and in 2015, he was listed in Business Insider’s “Under 35 and Crushing It” list. Just last year, he was also named to Crain's NY Business 40 Under 40 Class list.

Sameer Dholakia, CEO of SendGrid

Sameer Dholakia is accustomed to using both hands to accomplish a variety of jobs — and not just because he's ambidextrous. 

The executive has served in numerous roles in the tech industry, from sales to product management.  

Since Dholakia took the helm as SendGrid’s CEO in 2014, the company's revenue has quadrupled, and he led the company to IPO on Nov. 15, 2017.  Twilio announced it would acquire SendGrid in a $2 billion deal.

Dholakia has previously served as CEO at VMLogix, which was acquired by Citrix. And he worked in sales, business development and product management for Trilogy, where he helped the startup grow to a $300 million business.

And his ambidexterity has given him another special skill: he can write with his left hand and throw a fastball with his right.

Lynne Laube, COO and Co-Founder of Cardlytics

Lynne Laube is one of the co-founders of Cardlytics, along with Scott Grimes and Hans Theisen. On Feb. 8, Laube took Cardlytics public, and since 2008, she has secured over $200 million in capital from investors.  At the time, this Atlanta-based company had a valuation of $273 million.

Cardlytics partners with more than 1,500 financial institutions to run banking rewards programs for customers. It also uses insights on how consumers spend money to help marketers target likely buyers and measure the impact of marketing campaigns.

Laube wanted to build a company where people love coming to work everyday. For example, Cardlytics encourages and funds employees to start their own extracurricular groups, such as the rock band The Redeemers, a beer brewing club and a mentorship organization

In 2016, she was named one of the top 10 venture-backed female founders by Inc. Magazine and Entrepreneur 360. She has also been a finalist for the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award twice.

Within Cardlytics, she launched Women of Cardlytics to provide career mentorship and support for women. Before founding Cardlytics, she worked at Capital One and Bank One.

Outside of work, Laube loves to cook, and she swears by her on-demand workouts.

Enterprise tech startups have been on a 12-month IPO joyride.

From MongoDB to Dropbox to Eventbrite, more than 20 startups in the enterprise tech industry have sold shares to the public and made splashy Wall Street debuts this past year.

Unlike consumer internet companies whose products are usually free and designed for the masses, these enterprise startups create products and service that are sold to other businesses. It's a massive $3.7 trillion worldwide market, and yet these startups don't always enjoy the mainstream name recognition of their consumer counterparts.

To help you familiarize yourself with this new crop of public tech companies, Business Insider has rounded up some of the key players driving the growth and the success behind the scenes.

Subscribe here to read our story: Enterprise tech startups have been on a 12-month IPO joyride — here are the 15 key execs you need to know

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Executives from big retail brands and consumer-packaged-goods companies are pouring into the rapidly maturing cannabis industry.
• The financial opportunity is massive — analysts say the cannabis industry could skyrocket to $194 billion if other countries follow Canada's lead and legalize the drug.
• Expect to see more high-profile executives taking positions in cannabis companies as more markets open up.

When Ed Schmults, a veteran retail executive, received an out-of-the-blue phone call from a headhunter in July, he had no idea that in just a few short months he'd end up as the CEO of a cannabis company.

"She was working hard to put the hook in — about the size of the opportunity and the 'clean slate,' if you will," Schmults told Business Insider. She didn't initially tell Schmults that she was recruiting for a cannabis company.

"I was like, 'Huh, cannabis? I'll have to think about that,'" he said. "At the end of the day, I really liked the investors."

Schmults, now the new CEO of Calyx Peak Capital, a firm based in Massachusetts that invests in cannabis retail licenses in several states, is just one of numerous consumer veterans who have moved into the nascent industry.

Executives like Schmults see an opportunity to use their experience to help build brands, cut deals, and create the complex distribution and supply-chain networks the cannabis industry needs in order to mature.

Getting in early may also be a windfall. According to the Bank of Montreal, the cannabis industry could become a $194 billion global market if more countries follow Canada's lead and legalize the drug.

From a 'radical notion' to 'how can I get in on the action?'

To Schmults, cannabis is a "rare opportunity" to take part in creating an industry from the ground up.

After a stint at Goldman Sachs, Schmults was the chief operating officer of Patagonia and the CEO of the storied toy retailer FAO Schwarz.

While some of his former colleagues ribbed him over his "sharp career turn," Schmults said that when he described the size of the opportunity, their jokes turned to questions of how and when they could invest.

Other executives came into the cannabis industry through different paths.

Chris Burggraeve, the former chief marketing officer of Budweiser's parent company, AB InBev, found his way into the cannabis industry after MBA students at a class he was teaching at New York University submitted proposals for cannabis startups as their final projects.

Read more: A cannabis CEO who led turnarounds at FAO Schwarz and Patagonia explains why he's looking to poach 'nimble' people from small companies — rather than big-name execs

"It piqued my interest," Burggraeve said in a recent interview with Business Insider. In 2016, Burggraeve took the plunge and founded Toast, a cannabis brand geared toward upscale consumers.

When Burggraeve launched Toast, he said that leaving the traditional consumer-packaged-goods world (he held positions at Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola before AB InBev) for cannabis was a "radical notion."

Now Burggraeve says nearly all former colleagues he speaks with have one question: How do I get in on the action?

Peter Horvath, who led the shoe retailer DSW's initial public offering in 2005 as the company's president — along with serving in C-suite positions at American Eagle and Victoria's Secret — said that jumping into the cannabis industry was a matter of "skating to where the puck is going."

Horvath said he expected cannabis products to pop up on the radars of boardrooms everywhere, from beauty startups like Glossier to retail behemoths like Amazon.

He's now the CEO of Green Growth Brands, an Ohio-based cannabis retailer backed by the billionaire Schottenstein family. The company went public on Tuesday via a reverse merger with Xanthic Biopharma on the Canadian Securities Exchange and plans to use its stock to buy dispensary licenses in new state markets like Massachusetts.

"We're going to apply what we know to a brand-new business, and the upside is tremendous," Horvath said.

Read more: Coca-Cola is eyeing a deal in the marijuana industry, and insiders say it's a sign that other beverage giants may soon dive in

There are other high-profile execs in cannabis as well.

Beau Wrigley Jr., the heir to the Wrigley fortune and former CEO of the eponymous gum company, was just named the CEO of Surterra Wellness, a medical cannabis company based in Florida.

And the publicly traded cannabis company Green Thumb Industries — whose CEO, Ben Kovler, is an heir to the Jim Beam whiskey fortune — on Wednesday closed a $290 million acquisition of three new dispensary licenses in Las Vegas; the firm is also backed by the hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman.

MedMen, a chain of retail cannabis dispensaries, hired Ben Cook, a former vice president at Sam's Club, as its new COO in October.

And Jakob Ripshtein, who spent 10 years at the alcohol giant Diageo, is now the president of Aphria, a publicly traded Canadian cannabis cultivator.

In August, reports surfaced that Diageo was looking at pursuing a deal with a Canadian cannabis company — and Aphria was at top of the list.

"We are seeing high-profile companies, in addition to institutional investors, waking up to opportunities in the space," Kovler said.

Read more:

SEE ALSO: 'The new avocado toast': A former Coca-Cola and AB InBev executive reveals why every food and beverage boardroom needs to be talking about cannabis

AND MORE: A cannabis CEO who led turnarounds at FAO Schwarz and Patagonia explains why he's looking to poach 'nimble' people from small companies — rather than big-name execs

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For only $5, the ad promises, we could get one month's worth of erectile dysfunction medication. 

The ad is for Hims, a men's health startup know for selling generic Viagra and hair-loss medications. 

In early November, Hims expanded into women's health with the brand Hers, offering everything from skin care to birth control. And it's not the only one branching out into more areas of medicine. Simple Contacts, whose first business provides eye exams and ships contact lenses, is moving into birth control. Ro, the startup behind men's health company Roman now wants to help you quit smoking through a new business called Zero. And the company behind hair-loss brand Keeps in October expanded into migraine treatments.

It's an approach that's getting a lot of attention as investors are wagering that consumers will be increasingly willing to shop for healthcare the same way they buy mattresses or fancy wool sneakers online. To date, Hims has raised $97 million in funding, including a $50 million series B raised in June. On a whole, the industry has raised $660 million in the past year. 

So we decided to try it for ourselves and see what it would be like to attempt to buy generic Viagra online. What we saw was unlike any doctor's visit we'd had before. 

When we got to Hims' website (Forhims.com), we were greeted by four different options. We decided to start with sex.

Almost immediately, we were able to put sildenafil, the generic form of Viagra, in our shopping cart, much like we might a toothbrush or some makeup.

We then started on the process of purchasing the drug. Included in the $30 price was a $10 membership fee as well as a medical fee. All-in, it cost us $35 because we forgot to put in the promo code.

• Starting Friday — a week before Black Friday — Amazon is offering promotions on its new Echo Dot, which debuted in September.
• The Echo Dot has been Amazon's best-selling Echo Device, and Amazon says it's the best-selling smart speaker ever. 
• The new Echo Dot is said to be 70% louder than the first-generation version, and boasts a new, fabric-coated design. But the reason why people seem to love the Echo Dot so much probably has to do with its small footprint and unobtrusive looks.

Starting Friday, Amazon is offering incredible deals on its best-selling smart speaker, the Echo Dot. 

Amazon debuted a redesigned version of the Echo Dot in September. Both the old version and the new version typically cost $50, but starting Friday, Amazon is offering a steal: three Echo Dots for $69.97.

If you're trying to do the mental math, that's a savings of $80. 

Amazon has offered deals on the Echo Dot in the past. Sometimes, you can get one free with the purchase of another Echo device; other times, Amazon will knock $10 or $20 off the price. 

But if you were thinking of buying a few Echo Dots as gifts, it's hard to beat 80 bucks off. 

If you're not swayed by this deal, you can wait until Black Friday actually kicks off: starting November 22, Amazon will sell the new Echo Dot for $24, or more than 50% off. 

Read more: Amazon revamped its most powerful Echo, the $150 Echo Plus — here's how it compares to the old version

What makes the new Echo Dot so great, anyway? 

The new Echo Dot has a lot of similarities to the first-generation speaker. Still, there are a few improvements that make it worth the money.

Amazon says that the new Echo Dot is 70% louder than the previous model. The updated Echo Dot also has a new mic array so you can hear everything more clearly — the device doesn't just have boosted volume, but louder sound "with lower distortion and enhanced bass reproduction."

Additionally, it sports a new fabric-covered design — a design that, it should be noted, makes it look a lot like Google's Home Mini smart speaker.

Otherwise, not much has changed. Just like the previous version, you can ask the new Echo Dot random questions, command it to play music, check the news and weather, set timers and alarms, and even order stuff from Amazon — all of that is powered by Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa. 

But the reason why people seem to love the Echo Dot so much — Amazon says it's the "best-selling smart speaker ever"— probably has to do with its small footprint and unobtrusive looks. It's about the size of a hockey puck, which means you can put it virtually anywhere in your home — or even your car. And it doesn't have a screen or a camera, which likely makes it feel slightly less invasive than other Echo devices, like the Echo Show or Echo Spot.

Plus, it's hard to beat the price (although Google sells its competing Home Mini for about the same amount of money).

If you want to try it for yourself — or gift it to loved ones — you can order an Echo Dot (or three) on Amazon's website.

SEE ALSO: It looks like Amazon has recruited Alexa for its plan to rename an entire neighborhood in Virginia

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