• We sampled seven brands of maple syrup to find out which one tastes the best.
• The brands we tried were Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth's, Hungry Jack, Log Cabin, Super A, 365 Everyday Value, and Trader Joe's.
• 365 Everyday Value, and Trader Joe's were the only two syrups that were actually maple syrup.
• Hungry Jack won in the non-maple syrup category and 376 Everyday Value won in the maple syrup category.

No pancake or waffle breakfast is complete without a hearty helping of maple syrup drizzled on top.

While we've already provided you with a guide to the best boxed pancake mix, we're now helping you pick the tastiest syrup as part of an ongoing INSIDER taste test series.

The brands we sampled were:

• Aunt Jemima — $5.99
• Mrs. Butterworth's — $4.99
• Log Cabin — $3.49
• Hungry Jack — $5.29
• Super A — $2.69
• Trader Joe's — $4.99
• 365 Everyday Value — $7.99

We bought all seven syrups at grocery stores in New York City, spending anywhere from $2.69 to $7.99 per bottle.

Trader Joe's and 365 Everyday Value were the only syrups we tried that were actually maple syrup. The five others are labeled simply as syrup, something that we kept in mind during our tasting.

To avoid sipping syrup straight from the bottle, we decided to sample the syrups with Eggo waffles — the ideal combo.

Aunt Jemima's consistency fell squarely into the middle — it was neither overly thin nor thick.

Mrs. Butterworth's had a similar taste and consistency, although it was more buttery — hence the syrup's name — and a tad less sweet.

Both Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth's instantly transported us back to our childhood. The taste reminded us of diner meals and homemade Sunday breakfasts.

If you're looking for a more authentic taste — and are willing to spend a little more — go for 365 Everyday Value's maple syrup.

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NOW WATCH: The legendary economist who predicted the housing crisis says the US will win the trade war

• The Boeing 717 is a slightly offbeat aircraft that went out of production in 2006.
• Boeing chalked it up as a failure, a result of absorbing some McDonnell Douglas planes when it acquired the planemaker in the mid-1990s.
• But the 100-seat 717-200 is now in serious demand as carriers move away from regional jets.
• I recently flew on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 from Newark to Detroit.

I've flown on many big aircraft and plenty of small ones. I've flown on Boeings, Airbuses, and Embraers, Bombardiers and a host of more obscure names.

But until recently I'd never set foot on a Boeing 717, a smaller aircraft that Boeing inherited when it bought McDonnell Douglas in 1995 for $13 billion.

I tend to like really small jets, tolerate regional aircraft, richly enjoy big planes — and dislike the narrow-bodies that do most of the grunt work of hauling passengers around the US on domestic routes these days.

The 717-200, in Delta livery, that I boarded last month for a flight to Detroit from Newark, New Jersey, was a mystery. I wasn't sure what I was strapping into. I had forgotten to quiz Business Insider resident aviation authority, Senior Reporter Ben Zhang, before my flight. 

But I figured out quickly what I was dealing with — and then settled back to enjoy the ride. Which was unexpectedly thrilling.

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The Boeing 717-200 is actually a rebranded McDonnell Douglas MD-95. Boeing acquired McDonnell in 1995 for $13 billion.

Sadly, as Business Insider's Ben Zhang reported, "On May 23, 2006, Boeing delivered the last two 717-200 jetliners to customers at its Long Beach, California, factory."

"It marked the end of a program filled with promise but that had ultimately failed to capture the interest of airlines. Even Boeing's well-oiled sales operation could only manage to muster up 156 orders for the little 100-seat, short-haul-airliner."

Despite being an apparent business failure with just 156 examples ever made, the 717 is now in high demand as a short-hauler, a 100-seater that can replace regional jets.

"What is this plane?" I asked myself.

• Comcast CFO Michael Cavanaugh gave an initial indication of how Comcast's offerings might inform decisions at its newly acquired Sky.
• Sky execs expressed interest in Comcast's Xfinity xFi mobile app, which lets customers access and control their Comcast broadband service, Cavanaugh said.
• Comcast sees xFi as a differentiator that attracts and retains broadband customers. 

After a blockbuster summer of media bidding, Comcast walked away with the crown jewel of British broadcasting, Sky.

Sky, a pay-TV business that serves 23 million customers in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, is seen as a rarity in that it owns premium content and a broadband service to distribute it. Comcast, the largest US cable-service provider, serves 22 million video customers and 26 million internet customers.

But details about Comcast's plans for Sky have been sparse. Speaking at a UBS investor conference in December, Comcast CFO Michael Cavanaugh gave an initial indication of how Comcast's offerings may inform those plans.

Sky executives expressed interest in Xfinity xFi, a mobile app that lets Comcast customers access and control their network. With xFi, customers can set up wifi networks, troubleshoot network issues, see what devices are connected to their networks, and block or pause connected devices. 

Cavanaugh said Sky executives were like "kids in the candy store in terms of how can they take that and ... use it to differentiate themselves as a broadband reseller, basically in the Italian market," according to a transcript of the conference.

"In markets [where Comcast offers its X1 video platform], you hear a lot more about xFi, you see a lot of advertising about our differentiated broadband product and what xFi is and examples of the app," Cavanaugh said.

Sky and xFi also share a history; Comcast exec Fraser Stirling, who oversees product development for xFi, worked at Sky for eight years, leading emerging product strategy and hardware.

Read more:Comcast's bid for Sky throws uncertainty into Hulu, Disneyflix and Now TV

Differentiation is important to telecom companies

The ability to differentiate their broadband product is important to telecom companies, which are increasingly concerned about retaining customers. That Comcast, the largest pay-TV provider in the US, has more broadband customers than video customers shows just how vital broadband service is to the company as traditional linear TV subscribers decline.

Sky is similar to Comcast in that it has the ability to bundle video and broadband offerings. Here, Comcast has an advantage over telcos by virtue of the coaxial cable it uses to deliver broadband. In telecom, the cheapest option for broadband access is typically DSL. DSL — digital subscriber line — is a service that's provided over a copper wire. This type of service is slow and unreliable with limited ability for streaming. The cheapest option at cable companies, on the other hand, is coaxial cable, which delivers broadband at faster speed and more reliably. Fiber is the fastest and often most costly option.

Sky has both DSL and fiber offerings, though it launched fiber-only service in Italy this year.Sky has an advantage over traditional satellite companies with its ability to bundle through Openreach, a UK telecom company that connects nearly all homes in the UK to a national broadband network.

"Sky does sort of have a double play because in the UK ... through Openreach,"Greg Williams, an analyst at Cowen, told Business Insider. "The UK allows Sky to get really good broadband for cheap. The government allows it for really good rates, wholesale prices, so they get the copper connection or even the fiber connection under UK regulation."

On top of potentially building out an xFi-like product at Sky, Comcast seems eager to expand its newly acquired international footprint.

"[Sky] can expand, we think, and are trying to, in early days in Spain, and some other markets, they can expand into adjacent geographies," Cavanaugh said.

SEE ALSO: Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg explains the company's massive reorganization

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 airline industry secrets that will help you fly like a pro this holiday season

• You're never too young to begin investing, and you don't have to be rich to open your first investment account.
• Don't let your emotions rule your investment decisions. When the market turns down, smart investors wait it out.
• Understand your investment goals. That will help you decide where to put your money.
• Angela Moore, a certified financial planner (CFP), has some advice to get you started.

Angela Moore's first job after college was as a finance director for a car dealership. She spent all day looking at other people's credit and, she said, "I quickly realized that there was a huge financial literacy problem in the community."

Moore decided to go back to school so she could help people close this gap. She is now a CFP and a certified financial education instructor with her own firm.

Whether you have a little money saved up or you just got a windfall, Moore thinks "everybody should look at opening some type of investment account." She noted that most bank accounts pay interest rates that don't keep up with inflation, so your savings lose value over time.

Your investment account can be an IRA, 401k, or any brokerage account that hold funds made up of stocks, bonds, and other investments. Here are six things to think about before you open your first investment account.

SEE ALSO: How to easily find a savings account that will earn you more money

Create a rainy day fund first.

"You don't want to take all your cash and put it in investments and then not have any cash in case of an emergency," Moore said. That could force you to withdraw money from your investment account when the market is down.

Instead, set aside between three and 12 months of living expenses in an emergency fund, Moore suggested, noting that "the amount that you need depends on the stability of your income." Freelancers need a bigger cushion than someone with secure employment. Plan on having at least a couple months of emergency savings before you begin investing.

Understand the costs associated with investing.

There are two primary types of costs associated with investment accounts, according to Moore: management fees, charged by your investment manager, and fees charged by the funds you invest in.  

Total fees are usually in the range of 1% to 2%. If you start investing at a young age, Moore said, those fees will "add up over time."

Don't let this discourage you from investing – just understand the costs associated with your accounts and look for low-cost alternatives.

Get investment help from a robot.

Moore has a suggestion that can save you some management fees: "There's a lot of robo-advisors where there's a very little fee or no fee at all." A robo-advisor is AI that asks you a set of questions about your goals and your tolerance for risk then uses an algorithm to recommend investments.

"For the average investor who's just getting started, a robo-advisor is great," Moore said. "I'm a financial advisor with a master's degree, and I use robo-advisors for myself."

She noted that accounts associated with robo-advisors often have lower minimums than accounts managed by humans. Some have no minimums, so you can start building your portfolio with a small monthly investment.

Nerdwallet has a list of the top robo-advisors for 2018.

• Even celebrities have to use pick-up lines once in a while.
• A good pick-up line can make or break a great relationship.
• Here's just a few that have been used by celebrities, whether they're successful or not.

First impressions are important, and when it comes to dating, a good "pick-up line" can be important.

Even some of Hollywood's most elite have a good pick-up line to thank for their successful relationships. For others, their initial chat-ups haven't always blown over well.

Here are just 10 pick-up lines used by celebrities to give you some inspiration in your dating life.

Jason Sudeikis used a mysterious line to woo his now-fiance.

Olivia Wilde evidently looked like she was missing something when Sudeikis flagged her down at a party with the line: "Whatever you're looking for, you don't need it."

In an interview with Howard Stern, the "House" star said it wasn't long before she was "head over heels" for her comedian beau. The pair has been engaged since 2013.

Ice-T made sure his now-wife Coco Austin knew what she was getting into.

The actor and rapper told NUVOtv he "struggled to remain calm" after spotting Austin on a set they were working on together. He decided to make the "gangster" outfit he wore for the role the focus of his pick-up line.

"I said, 'Would you ever consider dating a gangster rapper?'" he explained. After Austin said she'd consider if he was "nice," he fired back: "Well, baby, you take the 'n' off 'nice,' you get Ice."

Before getting married, Bruce Willis went especially racy with his pick up lines.

In the years between his marriages to Demi Moore and his current wife, Emma Heming, the "Die Hard" star revealed to Access Hollywood the rather blunt line he liked to use.

"I'll give you my best line, my old line, my old single guy line," Willis said. "You say, 'Hey… what are you doing for sex later?'"

• Women are serving in larger numbers in American politics and government today than ever before. 
• Here are some young rising stars in government. 

Women are serving in larger numbers in American politics and government today than ever before. 

A record number of women will serve in Congress next year after a surge of female candidates ran for office in this year's midterm elections. And the House's freshman class will be the most diverse in history. 

But women are also making strides in local and state government — in both elected and non-elected offices. 

Here are a handful of the most influential young women in American government, according to Apolitical's 100 most influential young people in government around the world. 

SEE ALSO: 7 things you might not know about the George HW Bush administration

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic Socialist from the Bronx and the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

Bronxite Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stunned the world when the political novice and Democratic Socialist defeated Rep. Joe Crowley, one of the most powerful and entrenched Democrats in Congress, in the New York primary last June.

In November, the 29-year-old Latina became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. 

Ocasio-Cortez campaigned on a deeply progressive platform that included supporting single-payer healthcare, abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and introducing a Green New Deal for the environment — while rejecting corporate donations to her grassroots-powered effort. 

Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican and the second-youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik is, at 30, the second-youngest woman ever elected to Congress (after Ocasio-Cortez). During her four years in the House, Stefanik has voted to loosen gun control, repeal Obamacare, and expand federal Pell grants for low-income students. She also leads candidate recruitment for the National Republican Campaign Committee and has voiced frustration about the GOP's small — and shrinking — number of women in Congress. 

"I will continue speaking out about the crisis level of GOP women in Congress & will try to lead and change that by supporting strong GOP women candidates through my leadership PAC," she tweeted this week. 

After facing opposition to her efforts to diversify the Republican caucus from male colleagues, Stefanik responded that she "wasn't asking permission" to make change. 

A Harvard graduate, Stefanik got her start in politics in President George W. Bush's White House and later worked for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. 

Anna Valencia, Chicago's city clerk.

Anna Valencia was appointed Chicago's city clerk in Dec. 2016 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. 

The 33-year-old runs an operation that serves 1.2 million Chicagoans and works to make government services more accessible to residents, championing the city's effort to provide a municipal ID card to streamline access. She's also advocated for more gender and racial diversity in government and politics. 

The first in her family to graduate from college, Valencia previously served as Emanuel's director of legislative counsel and government affairs (the second woman in Chicago's history to serve in that role) and ran US Sen. Dick Durbin's 2014 campaign. 

• Beards have long been a cultural sign of masculinity, but for men who can't grow thick facial hair, does that make them "less manly"? 
• We asked a dermatologist to explain the scientific reasons that some men aren't able to grow thick, dense facial hair. 
• Dr. Jennifer Chwalek explained that an inability to grow thick facial hair is not directly related to low levels of testosterone.
• Facial hair growth is largely determined by genetics— watch the video above to learn more.

Narrator: Look at that beard. The density. The thickness. It's what a beard is supposed to be! Not this. This is my beard, if you even want to call it a beard. This footage was taken after I let it grow for two weeks. Two weeks! It's thin, patchy, and in some spots there's no hair at all. Sad. But let's look at this one again. This is Kevin. We're around the same age, both Caucasian males of Irish descent. You could say we have a lot in common, except in the facial hair department. So, I asked a dermatologist about why he's able to grow a beard and I'm not.

Dr. Jennifer Chwalek: It's based on genetics as well as hormones. Some men, you know, have more hair follicles, so they can grow denser, coarser beards than others. Testosterone gets converted in the hair follicle to a more potent form called dihydrotestosterone. Some hair follicles have receptors on them that are very sensitive to this higher form of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and that will stimulate hair growth.

Graham Flanagan: How would you characterize my facial hair?

Dr. Chwalek: I'd say it's like, sparse, and you have light-colored hair, so it doesn't show up quite as much.

Flanagan: I can't really grow a great beard. It's been a problem. I want one. I wanna look like my colleague, Kevin. I mean, look at that beard. It is just glorious. Why can't I grow a beard like Kevin?

Dr. Chwalek: Well, Kevin has some good hair genes, so because of that, the hair follicles on his face are more sensitive to the effects of a form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone which can help to stimulate thicker, coarser, longer hair growth in some areas of the body like the beard area.

Narrator: Beards and facial hair have long been associated with masculinity and virility. I began to wonder if my inability to grow thick facial hair like Kevin makes me less of a man.

Flanagan: Does the fact that I can't grow a beard, does it make mean that I have low testosterone?

Dr. Chwalek: No. Men who can't grow a beard or have patchy beards usually have normal testosterone levels. It isn't a reflection of having low testosterone or being deficient in testosterone.

Flanagan: So, you can still be virile —

Dr. Chwalek: Right.

Flanagan: And grow a crappy beard like this?

Dr. Chwalek: Yes.

Flanagan: Okay, good.

Narrator: And in fact, there are some ways to increase the chances of growing facial hair, but shaving more often isn't one of them.

Dr. Chwalek: So, the idea that shaving can impact hair growth is actually a myth. When you're shaving, you're just cutting the hair off at the surface of the skin, and what's controlling the hair growth is really occurring deeper in the skin. So, it shouldn't have any impact on how quickly the hair grows, or how dense the hair grows. People have tried topical Rogaine or Minoxidil. These things may stimulate a little hair growth, but assuming it's due to genetics, then you're kind of stuck with what you have.

Flanagan: It's all about the sensitivity of the hair follicles and how they interact with this —

Dr. Chwalek: Dihydrotestosterone or androgens in the blood.

Flanagan: So, you're saying that, that his hair follicles are "sensitive."

Dr. Chwalek: Yes.

Flanagan: See, mine aren't.

Dr. Chwalek: Right.

Flanagan: They aren't sensitive. They're like rocks. They have no sensitivity at all. Okay, so I win that!

Dr. Chwalek: Right.

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• The US trade deficit hit $55.5 billion in October, the highest since October 2008.
• The increase in the deficit came due to continued growth in imports, while exports actually fell.
• The trade deficit with China also hit a record level.
• One of President Donald Trump's goals for the trade war was to reduce the trade deficit, but the president's own policies are likely prompting some of the widening gap.

Shrinking the US trade deficit has been a key goal of President Donald Trump's trade war.

But the Census Bureau announced Thursday that the US trade deficit grew to $55.5 billion in the month of October, the highest in exactly 10 years. That was a 1.7% jump from September, as imports rose by 0.2% and exports fell by 0.1%.

Trump has long been focused on the trade deficit as a signal that his administration's tariffs on Chinese good and metals are working, despite the fact that most economists discount the measure as a sign of effective trade policy.

Looking at the main target of the trade war, China, the trade deficit was similarly dismal. The unadjusted goods trade deficit hit $43.1 billion in October, the highest level ever.

While Trump may not like the results, there are good reasons the trade deficit is expanding. And part of the blame, for better and for worse, lies on the president's own policies.

On the import side of the ledger:

• The US economy is stronger, and US consumers' appetite is outpacing the country's ability to produce the goods they want.
• This means the US needs goods from other countries to satisfy consumer demand, leading to import growth.
• The increase in demand is in part due to the significant amount of fiscal stimulus injected into the economy by Trump's tax cuts and the massive bipartisan budget deal.
• Goosing the economy, while helping Trump claim victories on things like stronger GDP, also means the president's trade report card looks worse.

At the same time, exports are cooling due to retaliatory tariffs on US products:

• For example, soybean exports to China— a major chunk of US agricultural exports — have collapsed as a result of the trade war.

The trade policy exacerbates the existing issues that were already causing weak export growth, Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, wrote Thursday.

"The stronger dollar and slower growth in China and Europe are hurting exports, and the tariffs are a real problem too; exports of soybeans fell by $0.8 billion to a four-year low, down 43% year-over-year," Shepherson said.

Read more:The US-China trade war might still rage on despite a breakthrough deal between Trump and Xi»

Those existing drags on exports — the strong US dollar and slowing economic growth in foreign countries — in conjunction with the tariffs, combine to make the perfect recipe for weakness on that side of the deficit ledger.

"Moderating global momentum, the stronger dollar, and protectionist trade policies will keep weighing on exports in the near-term, while sturdy domestic demand and limited spare capacity keep import growth healthy – further widening the deficit," said Jack McRobie and Gregory Daco, economists at Oxford Economics.

A few things could turn around the deficit situation. If the US economy were to cool off, as many economists expect, it could slow the pace of import growth. At the same time, if Trump is able to strike a trade deal with China, a prospect of which economists and experts are more skeptical, export growth could rebound and close the gap.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

• US stocks clawed higher after falling sharply Thursday after the Wall Street Journal reported the Federal Reserve might adopt a wait-and-see approach to future policy decisions. 
• On Tuesday, Wall Street suffered its worst day since October.
• Watch the major US indexes trade in real time here.

Wall Street closed mixed Thursday as concerns about a cocktail of factors including trade tensions, Treasury yields, and energy prices weighed on global markets, extending losses following the worst day for US equities in seven weeks.

Stocks climbed back from sharp losses and the Nasdaq Composite turned positive Thursday afternoon after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Reserve may adopt a wait-and-see approach to future policy decisions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.3%, or about 77 points. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4%, and the S&P 500 was down 0.1%. The three main US indices had earlier lost more than 2% each.

Stocks had suffered their worst day since October on Tuesday as expectations for a trade deal between Washington and Beijing unwound and after sections of the yield curve inverted. The stock market was closed Wednesday, a national day of mourning for former President George H.W. Bush, who died over the weekend.

When futures trading resumed early Thursday, selling pressure was so strong in the first six minutes that CME Group Inc. was forced to intervene with market pauses to prevent severe price movements, according to Bloomberg.

Canadian authorities on Wednesday evening confirmed the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of the Chinese cellular giant Huawei Technologies, on suspicion of violating US sanctions on Iran. The arrest, which happened Saturday, cast doubt on trade relations between Washington and Beijing, who agreed over the weekend to pause tariff escalations for negotiations.

Optimism around the 90-day trade-war cease-fire has since waned, with President Donald Trump calling himself "a Tariff Man" in a tweet about Beijing.

"The market's in repair mode following one of the worst equity selloffs of the year," Mark McCormick, a strategist at TD Securities, said in an email.

"There are many moving parts to the puzzle and yet Tariff Man's tweet looms large. It also wreaks of a classic 'buy the rumor, sell the fact' trade where the market priced in a bulk of the good news weeks ago."

Treasury yields continued to slide Thursday, with the 10-year down 3.7 basis points to 2.886% and the two-year 5.3 basis points lower at 2.758%. Spreads between some long- and short-term bonds inverted this week, an occurrence seen as a potential recession signal, for the first time since the financial crisis. The dollar slipped 0.4% against the Japanese yen.

Financials were among the biggest losers in Thursday's sell-off. The KBW Bank Index fell into bear market territory, dragged lower by Citigroup (-3.5%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (-2%).

The S&P 500's energy sector also slumped more than 2% as oil prices slipped further into a bear market. The OPEC cartel of oil producers reportedly reached an agreement to lower coordinated output levels Thursday, but was at odds with Russia over the amount. West Texas Intermediate dropped 2.4% to about $51.65 a barrel, and Brent fell to just above $60.

Adding to concerns, the lens maker Largan Precision said its November revenue declined by more than a quarter from the same period a year earlier.

Wall Street's decline mirrored risk-off sentiment around the globe. The Stoxx 600 index closed down 3.3%, marking its worst day since Britain's 2016 vote to leave the European Union. Markets in Asia were also lower, with the Nikkei 225 shedding 1.9% and the Shanghai Composite falling 1.7%.

Now read:

Wall Street's biggest firms are suddenly embracing an asset class that has languished since the financial crisis — and it's a competitive threat to stocks

As the market hurtles toward disaster in 2019, one expert reveals the 'deus ex machina' that could save the day — and breaks down how it could happen

Investors are staring at the bleakest future since the Great Depression — here's why one market bear thinks a crash could wipe 60% from stocks

SEE ALSO: Oil plunges as OPEC tries to balance supply concerns with Trump's demands

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NOW WATCH: 7 things you shouldn't buy on Black Friday

• India and China, the world's two most populous countries, have a long history of conflict.
• In recent years, India has been watching China's navy expand into the Indian Ocean.
• Now New Delhi plans to bolster its fleet in order to keep an edge in the ocean it abuts on two sides.

India has watched warily as China's navy has ventured into the Indian Ocean, and now New Delhi plans to expand its navy to keep its edge in the ocean with which it shares a name.

India's navy currently has 140 warships and 220 aircraft, and navy chief Adm. Sunil Lanba said Monday that there are 32 ships and submarines under construction in Indian shipyards

Delhi has also approved the construction of another 56 warships and six submarines, part of a 10-year plan. "By 2050, we will also have 200 ships, 500 aircraft and be a world-class navy," Lanba said.

One of those six submarines will be from Project-75I, a $12 billion initiative to acquire advanced subs equipped with air-independent-propulsion systems that allow nonnuclear subs to operate without atmospheric oxygen, replacing or augmenting diesel-electric systems.

Lanba also said that the second of India's Scorpene-class diesel-electric subs had been through the needed trials and would be commissioned soon. The first of the class was inducted in December 2017.

Read more: China's growing submarine force is 'armed to the teeth' — and the rest of the Pacific is racing to keep up

India said in November that is first domestically built nuclear-powered missile sub, INS Arihant, had completed its first deterrence patrol, giving the country the ability to fire nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea.

The Arihant was a message to rivals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the time: "Don't try any misadventure against India."

Lanba also said on Monday that plans to produce India's second domestically built aircraft carrier had "received the necessary impetus,"according to The Economic Times. The Indian Express reported that the government is wary of the cost of a third carrier but that Lanba had said "the cost is justified in the Combat Battle Group."

India's first carrier, INS Vikramaditya, is a modified Kiev-class carrier purchased from Russia. The first domestically built aircraft carrier, the second overall, is under construction and is expected to undergo sea trials in three years, Lanba said.

Read more: 2 of Asia's biggest militaries are working on a deal that could give them an edge over China

The third carrier will take seven to 10 years to build, Lanba said, but it would allow India to operate two carriers at all times, complementing India's submarine force.

"A submarine is for 'sea denial,' while the a carrier battle group is for sea control," Lanba said. "Carrier battle groups will enhance the navy's role in the" Indian Ocean Region.

Delhi's efforts to enhance its position in the Indian Ocean are not limited to ships.

A naval air station in the northern Andaman and Nicobar Islands boosts connectivity in the region and improves surveillance in the area. The islands are west of the Malacca Strait, through which much of the shipping between the Indian and Pacific oceans passes — including Chinese subs.

India has already deployed its variant of the advanced US P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to the islands.

Read more: With an eye on China, India is looking to buy more US-made advanced sub-hunting planes

Negotiations are underway to build a naval base in the Seychelles, at the opposite end of the Indian Ocean. In addition to exercises with partners in the region, the navy is conducting patrols with the Maldives, where India appears to have come out ahead in a geopolitical struggle with China.

"In Maldives, there is a government which is favourable to India. We are providing [exclusive economic zone] patrols with Maldives. We continue to do so ... we will move forward in all discussions, not only in maritime," Lanba said Monday.

Delhi has been tracking Chinese subs entering the Indian Ocean since 2013. Lanba's comments come as China's warships grow increasingly active there.

At any time, Lanba said Monday, there are six to eight Chinese navy ships in the region: a three-ship anti-piracy force in the Gulf of Aden and three to four survey vessels. "In October, a Chinese submarine was deployed and spent a month in the Indian Ocean," he added. "All this was in 2018."

Read more: US submarines are better than China's 'by far,' but in a war that may not matter

India's Eastern Fleet commander Rear Adm. D.K. Tripathi said Wednesday that India's navy had over the past year moved to mission-based deployments to maximize their time at sea.

"We are monitoring all that is happening in the Indian Ocean," he said when asked about the presence of other navies.

India has a long history of tension with its northern neighbor, including several wars over a disputed boundary in the Himalayas.

For now, the land border remains the Indian military's primary focus, as the army is the dominant wing of the armed forces, Faisel Pervaiz, a South Asia expert at the geopolitical-analysis firm Stratfor, told Business Insider in October.

But Chinese naval activity, as well as diplomatic overtures through Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, have worried Delhi.

"For India, the concern now is that although it maintained this kind of regional hegemony by default, that status is beginning to erode, and that extends to the Indian Ocean," Pervaiz said. "India wants to maintain [its status as] the dominant maritime power in the Indian Ocean, but ... as China's expanding its own presence in the Indian Ocean, this is again becoming another challenge.

On Monday, when asked to compare to the Indian navy to those of China and Pakistan, Lanba said Delhi was still on top where it mattered.

"As far as the Indian Navy is concerned, we have only one front. And that is the Indian Ocean. We have overwhelming superiority over Pakistan navy in all fields and domains. In the Indian Ocean region, the balance of power rests in our favor compared to China."

SEE ALSO: 'We can do better': The Navy's newest fleet commander says US ships and sailors got 'beat up' during NATO's biggest exercise since the Cold War

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NOW WATCH: The wreckage of a World War II-era US warship that the Navy called the worst disaster at sea has been discovered

• A group of newly-elected progressive House Democrats are protesting their own congressional orientation program at Harvard's Kennedy school this week. 
• The future lawmakers have staged rallies and are tweeting their protests of the bipartisan events, which are co-sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 
• "Lobbyists are here. Goldman Sachs is here. Where's labor? Activists? Frontline community leaders?" Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Thursday. 

Newly-elected progressive members of Congress, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, abandoned their new member orientation at Harvard's Kennedy School on Tuesday night to lead a rally in support of single-payer healthcare, gun control, and laws to fight climate change outside in the freezing cold. 

"This is why the Democrats won. This is why we're in the majority. We refuse to put hope and aspiration and values on a shelf," said Pressley, a Massachusetts progressive who beat out a longtime incumbent Democrat for her seat. "I was not sent to Washington to play nice."

On Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old Democratic Socialist from New York, protested what she described as the disproportionate corporate influence at the three-day orientation, which is hosted by the Harvard Institute of Politics and co-sponsored by the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

The Harvard program has hosted hundreds of lawmakers every two years since 1972 and aims to help newly-elected officials "forge bipartisan relationships and learn practical skills of lawmaking just one month prior to taking the oath of office."

The Bronxite documented some of the week's events on Instagram, including the Tuesday night demonstration, which she and a handful of other lawmakers attended in lieu of an event featuring US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is also Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's wife. 

"Opening remarks is from Trump admin, so we're holding a presser on healthcare & gun violence instead, with @AyannaPressley leading the charge," she wrote in an Instagram story.  

Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib — another progressive Democrat from Michigan — slammed President Donald Trump's former chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, who she said told the incoming lawmakers during a Thursday event that they "don't know how the game is played" in Washington. 

"Gary Cohn, former CEO Goldman Sachs addressing new members of Congress today: 'You guys are way over your head, you don't know how the game is played,'" Tlaib tweeted. "No Gary, YOU don't know what's coming - a revolutionary Congress that puts people over profits."

The Center for Popular Democracy, a progressive advocacy group, held something of an alternative orientation in Boston this week and joined with other activists to protest Harvard's program. 

"Make no mistake: This new member orientation is an orientation of the status quo," Joia Mukherjee, chief medical officer of Partners in Health, told the crowd at the Tuesday rally, according to HuffPost. "And what we are voting for is justice."

SEE ALSO: 'This is a disgrace': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams her future colleagues in Congress for employing unpaid interns and failing to pay staffers a 'living wage'

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• People aren't always kind to nature, especially when traveling.
• Headlines are often filled with people badly damaging nature and the environment. This year was no different. 
• In 2018, people chucked ancient dinosaur tracks into a reservoir in Utah, poached almost 90 elephants in Africa, and knocked over an ancient rock formation. 

It's no secret that people aren't always appreciative of their surroundings. Whether up in the air or traveling abroad, people have done some horrible things to their environment. 

When it comes to nature, this rings especially true. This year people have made headlines by vandalizing, destroying, or tampering with some of the world's most gorgeous natural environments. 

From defacing a national monument to shattering a rock formation millions of years in the making, here's how people have damaged nature in 2018.  

A group of tourists pushed a rock formation that dates back millions of years off a cliff in England.

The Brimham Rocks is a National Trust site in North Yorkshire, England, and the rocks there have been shaped by wind, rain, and ice for millions of years. But that didn't stop a group of teenagers from pushing one of the 320 million-year-old formations over a cliff this June, destroying the monument. 

"They went at it for quite a while to get the momentum to push it off. So there was definitely intent there," Catherine Barber, a ranger at the Brimham Rocks, told CBC. "It's a great shame because that stone's been there and has been rocked by many visitors over hundreds of years, and it's just a shame now that it will [no longer] be there for the people to come in and try."

Another group of tourists damaged a 40 million-year-old land formation in China.

In August, four Chinese tourists entered an ancient landform in a geopark in China called Zhangye Danxia. They posted a video when they broke into a roped off area and damaged most of the surroundings.

In the video, you can see the tourists walking on red and yellow sand while also digging their feet into it.  The bottom layers of the landform were created 40 to 100 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, according to the South China Morning Post, and the top layers are a result of erosion, estimated to have been formed 200,000 to 400,000 years ago.

But in the video, one of them casually brags, "I destroyed a 6,000-year-old [formation." Only two were arrested for the crime. 

In Utah, dinosaur tracks that date back millions of years were destroyed.

About 200 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed through northeastern Utah and the only thing they left behind are footprints, which people can visit at the Red Fleet State Park. But this year, the park staff has reported that a number of people have dislodged the tracks and thrown them into the reservoir nearby. The Washington Post reports that at least 10 footprints have vanished from the site this year. No one has been charged with the crimes, but under Utah law, it is considered a felony. 

At IGNITION 2018, Andy Main,  head of Deloitte Digital, spoke with John Heggestuen, vice president of research for Business Insider Intelligence. They cover the biggest tech themes of the year: AI, blockchain, data, and consumer trust. 

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• It's important to make sure you're eating the right kind of food to fill you up
• Simple carbohydrates cause your blood sugar levels to dip
• INSIDER found out which foods are the most filling to eat

Even if you seem to be snacking all day, you may still find yourself hungry for more. That's because not all food will keep you equally full and satisfied. 

If you’re trying to have a healthier, more filling diet, then Rima Kleiner, MS, RD and blogger at Dish on Fish recommended staying away from simple carbohydrates — think baked goods, chips, candy, and full sugar sodas, as these won't keep you satisfied.

To help you create a more satisfying diet, INSIDER talked to nutritionists to find out which foods are the most filling to eat.

Protein-rich foods can keep you fuller for much longer.

Multiple nutritionists advised eating foods high in protein to fill you up. “Protein may help our brains recognize the hormone leptin, which helps us feel fuller longer and provides energy for our bodies,” says Kleiner.

“Protein also breaks down slower than carbs, so you'll feel full for hours after a meal with a good amount of protein,” added registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Bright Body Nutrition Mikka Knapp. “Lean meats like chicken, turkey, or seafood are the best option here. Aim for 4-6 ounces of meat at lunch or dinner. Beans are also high in both protein and fiber, so you'll get double the benefits with a bowl of lentil curry or black bean soup.”

Kleiner also suggested eating high protein foods that are low in fat and carbohydrate — like salmon — to give you the strength you need to power through your day-to-day activities. “Also add nuts or seeds to your cereal or oatmeal, salmon and cucumber to your whole grain toast, beans, and tuna to your salad at lunch, yogurt to your fruit snack and shrimp to your pasta dinner,” she said.

High fiber foods are also known to satisfy your appetite.

According to Chandler Ray, RD, genetics dietitian at Pathway Genomics, high-fiber foods slow down the digestive process, helping you feel fuller and more satisfied for longer. She also noted that high-fiber foods can also help lower your cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels.

How does fiber exactly work? According to Knapp, the stomach takes a much longer time breaking down high-fiber foods, and it moves through your digestive slower than their low-fiber counterparts. Knapp noted that the foods highest in fiber are beans, avocados, berries, pears, broccoli, and nuts.

Dr. Mike Roussell, Ph.D., nutritionist and co-founder of Neutein, also pointed out that oats and boiled potatoes are filled with gut-satisfying fiber. “Boiled potatoes have the highest satiety rating according to the Satiety Index,” he said.

Foods high in healthy fats, like Omega-3, are also filling options.

According to Knapp, healthy fats are actually helpful in signaling satiety, making smaller portions filling options for your diet.

“A dollop of hummus, half an avocado, or a handful of nuts as a snack or with a meal releases signals to oral receptors that tell your brain you've eaten enough,” she said. “Research has also shown that including some MCT oil with a meal improve fullness and results in weight loss.”

Roussell noted that pistachios are also a filling snack that’s high in healthy fats, along with other hunger-satisfying components: “Pistachios contain what I call the satiety trifecta - fat, fiber, and protein,” he said. “Pistachios also help control blood sugar levels which aim in maintaining satiety following a meal.”

• The royal family is well known for their impressive style, but what's lesser known are the style hacks that allow them to always look so pristine. 
• Queen Elizabeth sews weights into her hemlines to prevent billowy skirts.
• Kate Middleton wears adhesive tights to prevent shoe slips.
• Leather insoles are the foolproof solution for combatting heel pain.

Being a member of the royal family is perhaps one of the most demanding and high-pressure jobs in existence. Public figures like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth are constantly in the public eye, which means they're under intense scrutiny and must represent their titles in a professional and pristine fashion.  

With this responsibility comes the expectation that the royals are always prepped and ready for their extensive duties, and that extends into their style choices. But maintaining a perfect wardrobe is no easy feat, and their highnesses have a few tricks up their sleeves to keep up appearances.

Keep reading the royal style hacks you'll want to copy. 

Queen Elizabeth sews weights into her hemlines to prevent billowy skirts.

Traveling to and from place to place can make anyone prone to a wardrobe malfunction, especially in windy areas. But to prevent any mishaps from happening at events and appearances, Queen Elizabeth actually has literal weights sewn into her hemlines to prevent billow skirts, according to her couturier, Stuart Parvin, in an interview with The Daily Mail.

And it's also common practice to wear static-heavy bodysuits for the same reason.

For those who choose to opt out heavy clothing like Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, static-friendly bodysuits are a popular choice because the static from the undersuit helps hold down the fabric of the skirt, according to etiquette expert Myka Meier in an interview with The Sun.So if a drastic move like weights in the hem isn't preferred, bodysuits are the way to go.

Princess Diana used her purses to maintain modesty.

Crudely named by Princess Diana as "cleavage clutches," small purses were the late princess's favorite trick to maintaining modesty in public outings. Designer Anya Hindmarch spilled the secrets of her loyal customer to The Telegraph in 2009, saying "She was … a lot of fun. We used to laugh when we designed what she called her 'cleavage bags', little satin clutches which she would cover her cleavage with when she stepped out of cars."

• We recently talked to 11 couples who got married at Disney World, Disneyland, or another one of Disney's many resorts around the world.
• Most of the couples we spoke to described the wedding planning process as easy and fun.
• While some of Disney's wedding packages are expensive, a few are surprisingly affordable, one couple said.
• Take a closer look at their magical weddings below.

For many Disney fans, getting married at one of the company's many resorts and parks around the world is the ultimate dream come true.

From a ride in Cinderella's horse-drawn carriage to a towering cake featuring beloved characters like Mickey Mouse, Disney's wedding packages offer dozens of perks designed to add some fairy-tale magic to your big day.

Below, find out what it's like to plan and have a Disney wedding, according to 11 couples who've actually done it.

Indonesian actress Sandra Dewi and Harvey Moeis got married at the Tokyo Disney Resort in November 2016.

According to a representative for Sandra, the couple first tied the knot in another ceremony a few days before they wed at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Harvey proposed to Sandra on Christmas Day in 2014.

Sandra's close friend, Indonesian television host Daniel Mananta, introduced her to Harvey, and the couple "started to fall in love" one month later, a representative for the actress told INSIDER.

It was a "dream come true" for Sandra when the couple started planning their Disney wedding.

According to Sandra's representative, Harvey knew from the beginning of the couple's relationship that the actress is a "huge Disney fan," and he wanted to "make her feel like a real princess" on their wedding day.

Sandra is also a spokesperson for Disney in Southeast Asia, the representative added, which made the wedding planning process much easier.

• The parents of Shanann Watts, the Colorado woman who was murdered by her husband along with her two young daughters, recently sat down for an interview with ABC News' "20/20".
• In one segment of the interview, Shanann's mother, Sandra Rzucek, said that after her daughter and granddaughters were first reported missing, Chris Watts didn't appear worried.
• "He didn't give a flying flip," she said.

The parents of Shanann Watts, the pregnant woman who was murdered along with her two young daughters by her cheating husband in August, have sat down for their first television interview.

In preview clips of their interview on ABC News' "20/20", Shanann's mother, Sandra Rzucek, said her daughter's husband did not appear worried when his wife and daughters were first reported missing.

"He didn't give a flying flip," Rzucek recalled.

Chris Watts would later admit to disposing of his three family members' bodies at an oil site where he worked, after strangling his wife and smothering his daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste.

Before confessing to the three murders, Watts spoke to local reporters about the disappearance in a bizarre interview on the front porch of his house.

Read more:Text messages and phone records show pregnant Colorado woman murdered by her husband told friends before her death that he had 'changed' and didn't want another baby

Rzucek said she advised her son-in-law not to speak to the press, but he decided to anyway.

"I said, 'Chris, you know, I don't think you should do any media.' I said 'Um, you're the last one to have seen them. So I don't think you should.'

"I thank God he did. I thank God in heaven that he didn't listen to me," Rzucek said.

When Sandra and her husband Frank saw the interview, they said Watts was acting out of character.

He was "definitely somebody else," Shanann's mother said. "It was frightening."

Last month, Chris Watts was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

The full interview with Sandra and Frank Rzucek is set to air on Friday night's episode of "20/20" at 10 p.m.

• Read more about the Chris Watts case:
• Mistress of Chris Watts, the man accused of murdering his pregnant wife and 2 daughters, speaks out about their affair
• 'I put my hands around my wife's neck': Video shows the chilling moment Chris Watts confessed to strangling his pregnant wife
• In the days before he murdered his wife and 2 kids, Chris Watts was Googling the price of an Audi and 'marrying your mistress'

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• Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors of "Avengers: Endgame," said that the Oscars are out of touch with audiences.
• "It feels like Oscars do need a change in perspective," Anthony said.
• The Oscars introduced a "popular Oscar" category this year that it quickly scrapped after backlash, but the Russos support any way to solve the disconnect from moviegoers.
• "I think it [the popular Oscar] represents them trying to find an answer, which is what's valuable," Joe said.

Contrary to some years past, this year's Oscars could highlight some of the highest-grossing movies of 2018. "Black Panther,""A Star is Born," and more are expected to get attention in major categories, and already did so with Thursday's Golden Globes nominations.

If you ask Joe and Anthony Russo, that would be great news. The directors of Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War" and next year's "Avengers: Endgame"spoke to Business Insider during this week's Ignition conference, and said that the Oscars had been out of touch with audiences.

READ MORE: 'Avengers: Endgame' directors on dealing with sky-high expectations, and which characters they want to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe

"It feels like Oscars do need a change in perspective," Anthony said. "It seems there is a bit of a disconnect between movies that audiences are responding to globally and what the typical Academy presentation is of those films. I think that's largely based on the membership of the Academy and the fact that it's this sort of older group of people."

"We have to be careful that we don't lose touch with audiences," Joe added. "That's the reason we make movies. And if it feels elitist in a way and disconnected, I think it can create a divide between audience perception of content, and the industry perception of content."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has taken steps to address those concerns in recent years, most notably by expanding its membership. It also proposed a "popular Oscar" category this year that it quickly rolled back after backlash. But the Russos support the Academy addressing the divide between the Oscars and moviegoers.

"It doesn't necessarily need to be the popular Oscar but something like the popular Oscar can certainly shake things up and help evolve the thinking and the approach the Academy has when celebrating film," Anthony said.

Joe added: "I think it [the popular Oscar] represents them trying to find an answer, which is what's valuable. However they reach that is going to be important. I do think the disconnect has to be addressed."

SEE ALSO: FX leads the Golden Globes TV nominations, with Netflix falling behind Amazon and HBO

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• Gold prices rose 1% Friday, and were on track to post their best week since March.
• A weaker-than-expected jobs report renewed expectations the Fed would embark on a slower rate path.
• Watch gold prices in real time here.

Gold was headed for its best weekly gain in nine months on Friday after the jobs report showed hiring slowed in November, renewing expectations for the Federal Reserve to pursue a slower rate path next year.

Spot prices of the yellow metal climbed 1% at 2:15 p.m. ET to around $1,250 per ounce, the highest since July. Meanwhile, the greenback fell against a basket of peers.

"Dollar is down and gold is up slightly – both expected reactions to more dovish expectations for 2019," said Chris Gaffney, president of World Markets. "Jobs data was slightly weaker than expected, alleviating some of the investor anxiety over the future of interest rates."

The Labor Department said early Thursday the economy added 155,000 jobs in November, well below expectations of 198,000, and the unemployment rate held near historic lows at 3.7%. Wages grew at a slightly slower-than-expected pace, rising 0.2% for a second month.

Gaining about 2% this week, gold prices are on track for the best seven-day stretch since March, according to Reuters.

Gold prices was down 0.5% over the past year.

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