• Republicans lost the majority they held in the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years.
• But several Republicans broke through the political turmoil and gained significant notoriety in 2018.

Republicans did not have a banner year, losing dozens of seats in the House after the 2018 midterm election results were finally tallied.

But a handful of Republicans broke through the party's big losses to make a name for themselves or experience a massive shift in their reputation among conservatives. 

Here are some of the GOP's biggest breakout stars of 2018.

SEE ALSO: Republicans and Democrats agree: Trump can't just do what he wants with NAFTA

Dan Crenshaw

Republican Dan Crenshaw, a former US Navy SEAL, won the House race in Texas' 2nd congressional district in November.

Crenshaw became one of the most widely-known new Republicans running in 2018 after becoming the subject of a joke on "Saturday Night Live," in which Pete Davidson mocked his eye-patch. Crenshaw lost his eye while fighting in Afghanistan.

Davidson and Crenshaw ultimately made up by allowing the incoming freshman congressman to roast him on the next episode of the NBC show. But Crenshaw made a lasting impression to become a breakout GOP star.

Liz Cheney

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney has served in Congress since 2016 but gained new notoriety in the aftermath of the GOP's poor performance in the 2018 midterm elections.

House Republicans elected Cheney chair of the entire conference — a position her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, had held during his time in Congress.

Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham has been relatively well-known for years. But in 2018, Graham became a virtual pit bull for President Donald Trump and his agenda in the Senate, allowing him to shed his reputation of being a "RINO" (Republican in name only).

Graham unloaded on Democrats during the contentious hearings for then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, changing the tone and pace of a pivotal moment in the Senate.

The result of Graham's new attitude has been laudatory praise from Trump and his allies in the Republican Party, along with winning access to the president's ear on key issues.

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.

• With a great snowboard strapped to your feet, you'll be ready to charge down the mountain, carve through powder, or ollie, gorilla grab, and front flip your way through the terrain park.
• The Burton Ripcord Snowboard is our top choice because it's a progression-friendly board that's suitable for use by novice boarders but still plenty of fun for advanced riders.

It's difficult to trace the exact origins of many of the world's most popular sports. Versions of soccer, golf, lacrosse, and other recreational activities go back many thousands of years and have gone through countless variations over the generations. Snowboarding, however, is a markedly different story. We can mark the creation of this now global sport almost to the day, and certainly to the place and the person.

In the winter of 1965, a man named Sherman Poppen created what would be the first functional snowboard when he attached a pair of skis together side by side, creating a wide monoski style platform with a rope handle affixed to the front of the board.

Named the Snurfer by Poppen's wife, the new device was designed expressly for use by the Poppen's children. But upon seeing how much his girls and their friends loved the new Snurfer, Poppen realized his one-off invention had big potential. The Snurfer was licensed and went into manufacture within a matter of months, and a million of these rudimentary snowboards would be sold within the next ten years.

About a decade later, the world saw the first effectively modern snowboard. It was developed by Jake Burton — who remains at the forefront of snowboard innovation and sales — and consisted of polyurethane-coated wooden boards using waterski foot traps. During the 1980s, snowboarding grew from a fringe sport oft-derided by skiers into a more popular activity, though it was still banned or at least limited at most American and European ski resorts.

In the 1990s, snowboarding finally went mainstream, with riders permitted on almost all slopes on almost all mountains. And at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, snowboarding made its first official debut on the grandest stage in the sporting world.

While mastering all the tricks, flips, and top speed sprints an experienced snowboarder can enjoy takes years of dedication and practice, with the right attitude and the right equipment, you can begin enjoying the sport this very season.

We've included several different types of boards on our list, including those suitable for beginners, one for kids, and some that are geared toward varied types of riding, from downhill speed to tricks and jumps. It's up to you to learn how to fall safely (keep your hands in and use your rump — it's tougher than your wrist bones), stop on a dime (all about the edge control), or pull off the perfect double wildcat (that's a backflip off a straight jump with two full rotations, and it's called the supercat by some, just FYI).

But here are a few great snowboards and a few tips that just might help you channel your inner Shaun White when you're out there on the snowy slopes.

Here are our picks for the best snowboards you can buy:

• Best overall: Burton Ripcord Snowboard
• Best freestyle: Salomon Ultimate Ride
• Best versatile: System MTN Snowboard
• Best for kids: Lucky Bums Kids Plastic Snowboard
• Best low-cost: Camp Seven Roots CRC Snowboard
• Best for powder: Rossignol XV Sushi
• Best splitboard: Voile Revelator Splitboard

Updated by Owen Burke on 12/12/18: Added a new freestyle pick, a powder pick, a splitboard pick, and updated prices and formatting.

Read on in the slides below to learn more about our top picks.

SEE ALSO: The best skis you can buy to hit the slopes

The best snowboard overall

Why you'll love it: The Burton Ripcord Snowboard is an all-mountain directional board perfect for beginner to intermediate riders. 

Burton is arguably the biggest name in snowboard manufacturing, at least in the United States. That's certainly the case when viewed by the metrics of sales, as the brand accounts for the largest share of units sold in any recent year. But the Burton name is also associated with quality and reliability. Simply put, the brand makes good gear. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that founder Jake Burton is essentially the founder of snowboard design as we know it?

The Burton Ripcord Snowboard has a soft flex design that's ideal for beginners just getting to know the feel of a snowboard. It makes carving easy, turning responsively with minimal input and helping keep you upright and moving in varied snow conditions, from fresh powder to groomed trails to springtime melt/freeze chop.

The Ripcord is a directional board, meaning it is intended to be ridden only with the front end leading the way, but most beginner to intermediate snowboarders won't be doing a lot of switch riding anyway, so that's hardly a drawback.

And though the Burton Ripcord was designed for amateur to intermediate users, the durability of the board makes it more than suitable for more active, aggressive use by more advanced riders.

Most people who take the time to write a review about the Burton Ripcord Snowboard accompany said review with a five-star rating. One customer named Max speaks for many when he says: "For learning to snowboard [the Ripcord] was perfect." Max added that he is "looking forward to the second [season]" using his Burton board.

A reviewer with The Good Ride called the Burton Ripcord "one of the best powder boards you can get for the price," though he does say that it's hardly a high-speed board. A write up from Snowboard Critic noted its flexible core that allows for "good control" in just about "any condition."

Pros: Great choice for novice riders, easy turns, soft and flexible feel, good for powder

Cons: Slower than many options

Buy the Burton Ripcord Snowboard from Backcountry for $379.95 (price may vary by size)

The best snowboard for freestyle riding

Why you’ll love it: The Salomon Ultimate Ride is a highly technical board primarily designed for the terrain park and the halfpipe, but it’ll still hold up on the steep stuff if you’re a comfortable enough snowboarder.

This is an advanced snowboard for terrain parks. No snowboard is ever quite going to do it all perfectly, and certainly not in the terrain park, but the Salomon Ultimate Ride comes pretty damn close.

Whether you’re hitting powder or groomed snow, the park or the glades, this is a board best suited for the advanced rider. The hybrid camber (which results in a shape like a camel’s back lengthwise) lets you float over powder better than a flat or full-rocker board (both of those shapes would be better for more strictly downhill riders).

The best thing about this snowboard might be its “Popster” technology, which not only helps you lean into sharp, fast turns, but gives you a ton of snap and pop going into airs, too.

Australian halfpipe rider Scotty James found it to be his favorite of the nine boards he blind-tested for Snowboarder Magazine, finding that it held a firm edge, but also allowed for a pretty smooth transition between edges as well.

Despite having a long edge — which does give this board a relatively good downhill ride — the board’s “Quadrilizer” sidecuts (quad-angled cuts at either end) give you a ton of stability in turns, so it’s much more maneuverable than it might look.

All in all, this is a highly maneuverable board, and while it’s designed for tricks, will hold up in just about anything under an advanced rider. — Owen Burke

Pros: Stable, long edge, stiff flex for boosting airs

Cons: A little stiff for hitting rails in the park

Buy the Salomon Ultimate Ride from Backcountry for $599.95

The best versatile snowboard

Why you'll love it: The System MTN Snowboard can float over powder, charge down graded slopes, and help you pop over jumps, boxes, pipes, and more. 

First, let's talk about the fact that you can get a complete System snowboard package for less than $320, not counting the tax. That means you will get not only a snowboard, but also bindings and boots.

And to stay on said bindings and boots for another moment, the former are the System APX Bindings, which are lightweight and can be used over the toe cap or over the top of the foot, while the latter are System APX boots, which are prized for being durable, supportive, and warm. Just one note: the bindings are of moderate quality at best, and will probably be the first thing you'll need to repair or replace.

Now, on to the MTN snowboard itself. The board has a camber-rocker-camber profile that helps it stay atop even the fluffiest freshly fallen powder and elevates the contact points, helping minimize the chance you catch an edge on any snow type. In other words, the design reduces the frequency of you ending up end down, or face down, in the snow.

Thanks to the MTN's core design, this board is also suitable for freestyle riding. Its core consists of durable but flexible poplar wood and a heartwood stringer down the center of the board. A pair of high-density stringers flanks this central heartwood, supporting the board and adding a snappy, responsive pop.

The System MTN is suitable for regular or switch riding, and it is comfortable carving a path through the woods or barreling down a back bowl. And all that in a package most boarders can afford.

The System MTN Snowboard scores a four out of five-star score when its many ratings are averaged together. A customer named Nolan said that for "the price point there's nothing better." An owner called Casper said the board is "suited to be used basically anywhere on a mountain."

A product write up from Wired Sport called the System MTN Snowboard a "rocker dominant [board]" with excellent "float in powder." And in a review from Our Great Products, a writer called the board ready for "shredding the harshest terrain and parks."

Pros: Highly versatile board, floats over powder, design prevents edges from catching

Cons: Included bindings of middling durability

Buy the System MTN Snowboard Package on Amazon for $320

• Jennifer Lopez appeared on NBC's "Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Tuesday and gushed over her relationship with Alex Rodriguez, who she has been publicly dating since 2017. 
• "He's come into my life and really contributed in such a way," the "Second Act" star said, explaining that he's "supportive" and "loving." 
• Lopez added: "Some people try to dull you down or squish you down and he's so not like that and it's just so refreshing. It's just a beautiful thing. He’s just a very generous, loving spirit [and] soul."
• Watch the video below.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.   

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NOW WATCH: Drinking too much water could be surprisingly hazardous to your health

This is a preview of the Influencer Marketing (2018) research report from Business Insider Intelligence. To learn more about the top platforms, as well as strategies for social media influencer marketing, click here. Current subscribers can read the report here.

The concept of a brand hiring a popular personality to promote a product or service isn't new, and brands know that celebrity endorsements can sell products. In the age of social media, however, brands are finding new ways to leverage popular figures as brand ambassadors, and these people aren't necessarily famous actors, singers, or athletes.

How brands are leveraging social media influencer marketing

While brands certainly continue to tap celebrities for endorsement deals, they’re also starting to enlist social media personalities, broadly known as “influencers,” for advertising campaigns. Social influencers generally focus on specific content areas — like fashion, beauty, parenting, or gaming — and cater their content to a specific vertical.

A new report from BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, identifies the ways brands can find and manage relationships with social media influencers. It notes the most engaging industry verticals, the pitfalls to avoid, and the opportunities to cash-in on. Finally, it explores how major social platforms are increasingly building out tools that enable their most popular users to build their personal brands.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Influencer marketing ad spend is poised to reach between $5 billion and $10 billion in 2022. Taking the midpoint of $7.5 billion as a base case, this represents a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38%.
• Brands need to fine-balance providing influencers with enough creative freedom, while also ensuring the messaging positively reflects the brand. Nearly 40% of influencers believe that overly restrictive content guidelines are one of the biggest mistakes brands and agencies make when working with them. 
• Influencers tend to have higher user engagement than content generated by brands. The average influencer engagement rate across industry verticals is 5.7%. As a comparison, the average engagement rate for brands on Instagram has fluctuated between 2-3% in the past year. 
• Authenticity is key for influencer marketing messaging. Brands should give influencers sufficient creative freedom to keep posts authentic, as it makes posts less likely to be dismissed by users. Other best practices include repurposing influencer content for multiple platforms, evaluating the audience and following of an influencer, and leveraging data to optimize future campaigns. 

 In full, the report:

• Outlines recent steps the top social platforms are taking for influencer posts.
• Details the best practices brands should adopt when starting out with influencer marketing. 
• Discusses the top verticals that are poised to benefit the most from influencer marketing, and which ones are growing. 
• Highlights the factors that will be critical for compliance with social platforms and the FTC.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Atlanta United beat Portland Timbers to win the MLS Cup, paraded the trophy through their own city, then seemingly took it to a famous strip club on Monday night.
• A video appears to show the trophy being placed on a stage at a strip club, surrounded by dollar bills.
• A dancer then appears to have twerked on the trophy.

Atlanta United beat Portland Timbers to win the MLS Cup on Sunday, paraded the trophy through their home city on Monday, then reportedly took the title to a strip club to continue celebrations in the evening.

A video, reportedly obtained by Fox 5 Atlanta, appears to show the MLS Cup trophy on stage at the Magic City strip club surrounded by dollar bills.

The footage then shows a scantily clad, if not nude woman twerking on the trophy.

The Magic City strip club is a famous establishment, according to GQ, and is a "proving ground" for hip-hop artists, a hive for "hustlers," and a place where "fortunes rain from the rafters."

Video and images of the incident have been circulated on social media.

Here is a still from the video in question:

Read more: Read all of Business Insider's coverage for the 2018-2019 European soccer season right here

The incident has somewhat overshadowed what was a massive celebration for the city of Atlanta, which had not witnessed a notable sporting achievement since the Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 1995.

Atlanta United ended the city's trophy drought when it brought the MLS Cup home after a 2-0 win over Portland Timbers at the weekend, which punctuated an excellent MLS season with significant contributions from 35-goal hero Josef Martinez, midfield playmaker Miguel Almiron, and ever-present defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez.

Atlanta United won the title in only its second season, having joined the MLS in 2017.

Business Insider has reached out to Atlanta United for comment.

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UP NEXT: An 18-year-old soccer player's transfer value has risen over 800% in 3 months because he's playing like the 'new Neymar'

Join the conversation about this story »

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

• Tesla is suing former employee Martin Tripp for over $167 million, according to a legal filing from Tripp's defense team.
• Robert Mitchell, an attorney for Tiffany and Bosco who is representing Tripp, told Business Insider that Tesla's damage claims are "absurd."
• Tripp has alleged that Tesla used batteries with puncture holes in vehicles meant for consumers and overreported production of its Model 3 sedan. 
• Tesla has denied Tripp's claims.
• Tesla sued Tripp in June, alleging that he hacked confidential company information and gave it to parties outside the company.

Tesla is suing former employee Martin Tripp for over $167 million, according to a legal filing from Tripp's defense team.

Robert Mitchell, an attorney for Tiffany and Bosco who is representing Tripp, told Business Insider that Tesla's damage claims of over $167 million are "absurd."

Tesla and the law firms representing the automaker, Jackson Lewis and Hueston Hennigan, did not respond to requests for comment.

Read more: Ex-Tesla employee Martin Tripp posted dozens of photos that he alleges came from inside Tesla

According to a November 27 filing, Tripp's attorneys intend to depose Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as first reported by CNBC. Tesla's attorneys pushed back against that request in a filing also submitted on November 27.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk says Tesla will 'retire' the board chairman title in 3 years

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This Rolls-Royce feature might be the world's fanciest way to tailgate

• Google took a look back on the people, topics, events, and places that trended the most on search as part of its 2018 "Year in Search" series.
• We looked at the top results for the search, "Where is..."
• The most trending queries involved natural disasters, world events, and unexpected people news.

Just Google it.

It's an impulse thought many have when it comes to finding the answer to something one doesn't know.

As the year draws to a close, Google took a look back on the people, topics, events, and places that trended the most on search in 2018 as part of its 2018 "Year in Search" series.

We looked at the top results for the search, "Where is..." to see what locations people were looking for during the past year. The results were certainly reflective of the news of 2018 — three of the searches regard natural disasters, two involved world events (the Olympics and the World Cup), while others were inquired based on a scandal, company announcement, and school shooting.

Note that these items aren't the "most searched"— they're trending queries that increased the most from 2017 to 2018, according to Google.

See below for the year's most trending "Where is" topics, ranked.

SEE ALSO: Spotify's annual year in review playlists are out, and the internet has a lot of questions about their accuracy

10. Where is Prince from?

Musician Prince is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died in 2016 from an accidental fentanyl overdose, which was brought into the news again in 2018 when his family moved the medical malpractice suit to the county where he died.

9. Where is Paradise, California?

Paradise, California, was located in northern California in Butte County. Home to 27,000 people, the town was completely destroyed by the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in the state's history.

8. Where is Amazon based?

Amazon is based in Seattle, Washington. In 2018, it announced the addition of two new headquarter locations: Queens, New York, and the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia.

Democratic Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson said John Kelly has yet to apologize for making false claims about her in 2017, saying he "does not respect women, and he definitely does not respect black women, and I don't think he respects black people."

In an interview with CNN's Don Lemon, Rep. Wilson said she has received multiple death threats and "couldn't even go anywhere without armed security," after the outgoing White House chief of staff falsely claimed that Wilson took credit for securing $20 million in funding for a new FBI office in Miami. The incident took place during a White House briefing on October 2017.

Wilson, who became nationally known as an avid Trump critic, said Kelly "made up the whole story to side with the president to make it look like I was some sort of a clown or someone who was, who just lies all the time."

"I think that's why he never apologized," she added.

Read more: The congresswoman who accused Trump of upsetting a dead soldier's widow has a history of antagonizing Trump

Kelly, Wilson said, had no reason to slander her name. According to CNN, Kelly's false claims came after Wilson criticized the president for his handling of a condolence call with the widow of the late Army Sgt. La David Johnson. Wilson, who was on the call, said Trump told Johnson's widow: "He knew what he signed up for, but when it happens, it hurts anyway." 

"Yeah, he said that," Wilson told a Miami news station after the incident. "So insensitive. He should not have said that — he shouldn't have said it."

Wilson told CNN that Kelly and Trump came after her "for no reason" after she spoke up about the president's behavior. 

SEE ALSO: Sgt. La David Johnson laid to rest in Florida, as Trump's condolence call controversy swirls on

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'

• New York City's new One World Trade Center cost $4 billion and took eight years to build. 
• I took a tour to see what the inside looks like four years after the first tenants moved in.
• In addition to 78 floors of office spaces with jaw-dropping views, the building has an employee amenities floor with a café, game room with video game consoles and shuffleboard and billiards tables.
• About 8,000 people work in the building, mainly for media and tech companies.

New York City's new One World Trade Center, nicknamed the "Freedom Tower," cost $4 billion and took eight years to build between the start of construction in 2006 and the first tenants moving in 2014.

Four years after opening its doors to the first tenants, about 8,000 people now work in the building for companies that include Condé Nast, streaming service DAZN, and workout app Aaptiv.

The building is 1,776 feet and 104 stories tall, with office space on floors 20 through 98. It includes 3 million square feet of rentable office space, according to the World Trade Center's official website.

I found the inside to be much more casual than I expected— and my tour guide, Jordan Barowitz, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Durst Organization, which oversees leasing in the building, backed up this observation.

He told me when they first started marketing the building's office spaces in 2010, they thought it would be a "formal office building" with lots of "guys in suits." Instead, they got mainly smaller companies in media, technology, and other creative industries. While I certainly noticed some guys in suits, the majority of employees I saw were dressed casually, many with beards and sneakers.

Here's what the inside of One World Trade Center looks like, four years after the first tenants moved in.

SEE ALSO: NYC's new World Trade Center expected its offices to be full of 'guys in suits' — but I took a tour of the building and quickly saw that many of the actual tenants are very different

DON'T MISS: Photos show how New York City built the Freedom Tower in the wake of 9/11

I arrived for my tour of One World Trade Center on a sunny but chilly morning toward the end of October, ready to meet Jordan Barowitz, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Durst Organization, which oversees leasing in the building.

The building is only a few minutes from my office so I walked there, but One World Trade Center is connected underground to the Oculus, a shopping center and transport hub.

Source: Business Insider

Through the Oculus, you can access 12 subway lines and get to Jersey City, New Jersey, on the PATH train in about 13 minutes.

Source: Google Maps, WTC

• In 2018, new research debunked longstanding health myths related to diet, exercise, and more.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new guidelines on the sale of e-cigarettes to young people and research revealed the benefits of blue light-blocking glasses may be over-hyped.
• Researchers also found that life expectancy in the United States has actually dropped for the second year in a row due to an increase in suicides and overdoses, while life expectancy in other parts of the world continues to increase.

Every year, new research helps us better understand diet, exercise, disease, and other aspects of our health. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for example, released the first-ever update of its physical activity guidelines, which were first created a decade ago. Research also found American life expectancy has dropped for a second year in a row, down to 78.6 years old, while life expectancy in many other places around the world is still increasing.

Here are some of the top health myths that were debunked in 2018.

Myth: The ketogenic diet helps with long-term weight loss.

Every year, a new diet fad seems to take America by storm, with followers lauding it as the best way to lose weight. In 2018, that diet was the ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet.

The diet asks adherents to mainly eat high-fat foods while nixing sugar and carbohydrates in an effort to reach ketosis, or a state where the body burns fat for energy, according to Harvard Medical School.

Keto fans claim the diet helps them lose weight and feel more energized, but research has yet to conclusively prove the diet is a safe and healthy way to lose weight over a long period of time.

In fact, US News & World Report ranked the ketogenic diet the worst diet to try this year, noting it helps with short-term weight loss but isn't healthy or sustainable over time.

According to Harvard Medical School, the ketogenic diet becomes especially concerning when participants don't consume enough fruits and vegetables and instead focus on protein sources like meat and other processed foods.

While this diet is helpful for treating people with conditions like seizures or diabetes, it's important to consult your healthcare provider before trying it.

Read more:  10 ways people ruined nature in 2018

Myth: You have to work out in 30-minute intervals to see results.

In 2018, the US government released its latest iteration of physical fitness guidelines, which contained great news for busy folks: overall frequency of exercise is more important than the amount of time you spend exercising in one sitting.

Before the updated guidelines came out, the government suggested exercise must be done in 10-minute intervals to be considered helpful for health. Now, however, "bouts of a prescribed duration are not essential," according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This means you don't have to get in that widely cited 30 minutes of exercise in a row. Instead, you can spread your physical activity throughout the day, like getting up from a desk as much as possible, HHS said.

As a basic rule of thumb, the guidelines suggested adults get between two and a half and five hours of moderate physical activity weekly from activities like walking or raking leaves.

Myth: Gluten is bad for you.

Over the years, fad diet followers have denounced carbs, often calling out gluten specifically as a bad-for-you component in food. But research has debunked the idea that no one should eat gluten.

There are some people who really shouldn't gluten — namely those with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition that can lead to intestinal damage and poor absorption of nutrients into the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

A 2018 study in Nature Communications found that for those who were on gluten-free diets but didn't have to be, decreased gluten intake didn't make them feel better. Rather, people who eat less glutinous foods typically eat more fiber, which helps decrease bloating and build a healthier gut.

What's more, a 2017 study in The BMJ found that people who didn't eat gluten despite not having celiac disease had an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

• American Eagle'sAerie brand has achieved explosive success in recent years.
• On Tuesday, American Eagle reported a 32% increase in same-store sales at Aerie during the third quarter of 2018. This marked its 16th consecutive quarter of double-digit positive growth.
• Here's why the brand has been so successful. 

Aerie is on fire. 

On Tuesday, American Eagle reported a 32% increase in same-store sales for its underwear-turned-lifestyle brand, Aerie. This marked its 16th consecutive quarter of double-digit positive growth. Group CEO Jay Schottenstein described this as one of the company's best results ever in a call with investors after the earnings release.

The company now plans to open between 60 and 70 new Aerie locations next year. 

Meanwhile, its main competitor, Victoria's Secret, continues to come under pressure. Critics have said that the retailer's push-up bras and racy runway shows no longer resonate with the modern customer in the era of #MeToo. The brand came under fire last month after an executive from its parent company, L Brands, made controversial comments about transgender and plus-size models during an interview with Vogue.

Same-store sales were down 6% at Victoria's Secret stores in the most recent quarter. They were down 2% when including online sales.

Read more:These photos reveal why women are abandoning Victoria's Secret for American Eagle's Aerie underwear brand

We visited an Aerie store in Midtown Manhattan and saw why it has been so successful while Victoria's Secret has floundered:

SEE ALSO: These up-and-coming underwear labels are threatening to upend Victoria's Secret

DON'T MISS: We shopped at American Eagle and saw why it's so popular with teens right now

Aerie has been praised for being a more relatable brand. In 2014, it swapped its airbrushed ads for unretouched photos and launched a body-positive campaign known as #AerieReal.

It is known for its ad campaigns using "real" women ...

... and it famously doesn't Photoshop any of the images in its ads.

• The Green Bay Packers have had a rough season, but amazingly, still have a shot at the playoffs.
• The Packers will have to win out to finish 8-7-1 on the season and make the last Wild Card spot in the NFC.
• They're still alive because the teams in front of them have fallen apart in recent weeks and have tough roads to get into the postseason.
• The Packers' biggest test will be this week, when they play the 9-4 Bears in Chicago.

With three weeks remaining in the 2018 NFL season, somehow, the Green Bay Packers are still desperately clinging to playoff hopes.

After beating the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14, the Packers are now 5-7-1, in 10th place in the NFC playoff race.

There's no room for error, of course — the Packers have to win out to make it. But 8-7-1 might get the job done. Football Outsiders gives them a 6% chance of getting in.

"There's a lot of fight left in this squad," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after Sunday's win over the Falcons. "We're not out of it yet."

Part of the reason the Packers are still alive is that the NFC opponents in front of them have fallen apart. The Minnesota Vikings are 2-4 in their last six games and just fired their offensive coordinator in the middle of the playoff hunt. The Carolina Panthers have lost five straight games. The Washington Redskins are playing third-string quarterbacks and have lost four in a row. The Philadelphia Eagles have lost three of their last five and have been inconsistent all year.

Additionally, all of the teams in front of them have tough roads to get in. The Eagles play the Los Angeles Rams (in LA) this week. If they lose, the best they could finish is 8-8.

The Redskins have an easier schedule, as they face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and the Eagles. But one of Philadelphia or Washington will be out of the race with the Week 17 result. Again, they're playing Josh Johnson, who learned his teammates through Madden, at quarterback.

The Panthers still have two games against the 11-2 New Orleans Saints.

The Vikings face the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 — a team also fighting for a postseason spot. They also play the Chicago Bears in Week 17.

All of this could be for naught, as the Packers play the Bears in Chicago in Week 15. The Bears defense just stifled the Rams last Sunday, and they may be looking for revenge after Rodgers led the Packers to a spectacular comeback win in Week 1.

In 2016, Rodgers famously said the 4-6 Packers would run the table to make the playoffs. They did, finishing 10-6 to win the division.

The Packers could have used such mojo weeks ago. They nearly let their season slip away completely over the last three weeks, with blown game against the Seahawks, a loss to the Vikings, then a loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals, leading to head coach Mike McCarthy's firing.

Read more: A series of mistakes are coming back to haunt the Packers, and now they're against the ropes and in danger of missing the playoffs

Now they'll need to win three straight and have things break their way around them to get the last Wild Card spot. But, even in the midst of a poor season, is there anyone you'd trust to lead such a charge more than Rodgers?

• Read more:
• Patrick Mahomes made 2 more incredible throws that show why he's unlike any other quarterback in the NFL
• The Cowboys' trade for Amari Cooper was mocked by the NFL world, and now it looks like the move of the year
• NFL POWER RANKINGS: Where all 32 teams stand going into Week 15

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how easy it is for the US president to launch a nuclear weapon

• China is scrapping its Made in 2025 economic plan, according to a new report.
• The plan laid out a roadmap for China's economic dominance in key industries such as technology and manufacturing, but was controversial among foreign leaders.
• Beijing's new economic plan would reportedly place more emphasis on a level playing field for state-owned, private, and foreign firms.
• It's unclear the depth of these reforms, however, and it could be a symbolic olive branch to President Donald Trump to ease trade war tensions.

The Chinese government is reportedly going to put on ice its well-publicized, controversial plan for economic dominance, in a move that could hand President Donald Trump a big, if symbolic, trade war victory.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Beijing is preparing to replace its Made in China 2025 plan with a new economic blueprint that would aim for increased access to China for foreign companies.

Made in China 2025 drew the ire of Trump and many other US officials because of its focus on making China the dominant player in emerging fields of technology and manufacturing, as well as its support for domestic firms with subsidies.

According to the Journal, the new plan would place a greater emphasis on making the Chinese market open to all companies, including foreign firms, and would level the playing field for state-owned, private, and foreign firms.

Additionally, the new plan would reportedly eliminate direct market share targets. Under Made in China 2025, Beijing set goals for the percentage of components for certain technologies that should be produced domestically.

It's not clear exactly the depth of these changes or if they would satisfy the Trump administration's desire for fundamental economic reforms. It also comes after years if increased economic intervention on the part of the Chinese government in an effort to make the country's economy more consumption-driven. 

But despite the potentially symbolic nature of the gesture, Trump can count the end of Made in China 2025 as a win given his criticism of the plan.

The move also comes as the two countries attempt to break the stalemate over their trade war that has developed over the past nine months.

Read more:We're finally seeing some encouraging signs in the US-China trade war»

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to delay further escalation and push back the increase of US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Since the Trump-Xi dinner at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 1, US and Chinese officials have played up their commitment to the deal and prospects for a broader trade agreement.

In a call Tuesday, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He — the country's top economic official — promised to increase purchases of US agricultural and energy goods. He also pledged to reduce China's tariffs on American-made cars which were jacked up to 40% in July as part of the trade war.

But while the early signs form the talks are positive, it remains to be seen whether the commitments produce actual results. For instance, despite the promise to purchase US soybeans — a key crop for American farmers — no Chinese orders have been placed.

Stocks opened higher following the report, with the Dow Jones industrial average gaining roughly 300 points, or 1.2% and the S&P 500 up 30 points, also 1.2%, as of 9:40 a.m. ET.

SEE ALSO: US companies forked over a record amount in tariffs in October — $6.2 billion! — because of Trump's trade war

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'

• Salaries with bonuses or commissions are offered at a majority of businesses, according to CNN.
• It can be tempting to use your bonus to treat yourself, like splurging on a luxury item or vacation.
• Investing your bonus in retirement, an emergency fund, or yourself is more beneficial.

According to CNN, 91% of businesses now have variable compensation programs — salaries coupled with bonuses or commissions.

Bonuses tend to come around the holidays, meaning that many employees are in for a nice supplemental check soon.

While it can be tempting to splurge on the latest iPhone or treat yourself to an extravagant vacation, excessive spending may not be the most productive way to handle your bonus. Making a long-term plan and investing your hard-earned money in retirement, an emergency fund, a health account, or even yourself will pay off more in the long run.

Katie Brewer, CFP and founder of financial planning firm Your Richest Life, previously told Business Insider that you should put 80% of your holiday bonus to "serious money" and 20% of it toward "fun money." 

Before blowing your check on gifts, trips, or gadgets, consider directing it towards these 11 options.

Kathleen Elkins contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: 11 signs you're about to get a holiday bonus

DON'T MISS: What to do first with your holiday bonus

Increase your 401(k) contribution

You should already be contributing to your employer's 401(k) retirement account and taking full advantage of any available company match program if one is available — but if you get a bonus, that's a great opportunity to increase that contribution.

The more you can set aside today, the better off you'll be in the long run, thanks to the power of compound interest.

Just know that the 401(k) contribution limit for 2018 is $18,500, according to the IRS. 

Max out other retirement savings accounts

If you haven't yet reached the contribution limits on other retirement plans, such as a traditional IRA or Roth IRA, direct your bonus towards one of those. 

There are a few key differences between the two accounts:

1. The income limit. Anyone can open and contribute to a traditional IRA, whereas there's an income cap on the Roth IRA for the 2018 year: Only married people earning less than $189,000, or single people earning less than $120,000, are eligible. The maximum yearly contribution for both accounts in 2018 is $5,500 (or $6,000 for people age 50 or older).

2. Taxes. Contributions to a Roth IRA are taxed when they're made, so you can withdraw the contributions and earnings tax-free once you reach age 59 1/2. Traditional IRA contributions, on the other hand, are tax-deductible when they're made. Both contributions and earnings are taxed when you withdraw them starting at age 59 1/2.

The advantage to the Roth IRA is clear: You only pay taxes on a portion of your savings (your contributions), while with a traditional IRA, you're taxed on every penny (contributions and earnings).

Roth IRAs are particularly well-suited to millennials. However, even if you're not a member of Gen Y, it's worth considering if you don't exceed the income cap.

Start a 529 savings plan for your kid

College tuition has more than doubled since the 1980s, currently at an all-time high.

Time has a way of flying by, and before you know it, you'll be responsible for a hefty tuition bill. Take your bonus and put it towards a 529 savings plan, a state-sponsored and tax-advantaged investment account that you can start when your child is born.

These plans allow a single parent to contribute up to $14,000 a year— $28,000 for a couple — for each of their children's college educations. It also allows anyone (a grandparent, godparent, or particularly generous neighbor) to contribute to the fund.

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.

• For a high-impact highlight with an incredible shade range, you can’t go wrong with BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector.

• The pressed powder formula is buildable, so you can wear it day or night.

My ride-or-die, desert island beauty product has to be highlighter. It’s not that it’s my favorite to apply (I love the artistry of eyeshadow) or the thing that makes me look most human (that award goes to under-eye concealer, certainly). But nothing quite beats the thrill I get from turning my face toward the light and seeing the glowy flash of my cheekbone. That, my friends, you can only get with highlighter.

There are so many beautiful illuminators on the market, not to mention different formulas that give you varying, yet equally beautiful, affects — how can you possibly choose between them? My answer is that I basically don’t choose. I have dozens of highlighters and I’m not in a rush to whittle down my collection anytime soon.

If, however, you consider yourself a reasonable person who doesn’t need six versions of champagne gold highlight, I’m here to help you narrow things down. The options on this list vary from “natural” to “strobe light” in terms of intensity, but they all make you glow without emphasizing texture or making you look like the Tin Man — unless that’s the vibe you’re shooting for, in which case, it’s totally doable.

Here are the best highlighters you can buy:

• Best highlighter overall: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed
• Best stick highlighter: Glossier Haloscope
• Best natural highlighter palette: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
• Best intense highlighter: Fenty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter
• Best cream pot highlighter: Decorté Dip in Glow Cream Highlighter 

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best highlighter overall

Why you'll love it: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector is the first word in highlighter, known for its intense glow and impressive shade range.

The first highlighter I ever fell in love with was Champagne Pop, a best-selling illuminator that BECCA Cosmetics developed in conjunction with YouTube star Jaclyn Hill. Though I now prefer dewier cream highlighters on a daily basis, it remains a staple in my collection.

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector is by far one of the most popular highlighter formulas on the market — the pressed powder formula alone has more than 4,000 Sephora reviews and a 4.6-star rating — and I consider it responsible for my personal highlighter awakening.

These highlighters manage to be intense without looking too wild for the office or a casual setting. I use a fan brush and a very light hand to apply the powdered version to my cheekbones for bold highlight, but they’re super buildable if you want to go “full glam” with your look.

There are 12 Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed shades available to accommodate most skin tones, from icy Pearl to deep Chocolate Geode. Some of the colors also come in liquid and cream formulations, so you’re sure to find one that matches your highlighter personality.

I’m partial to the powders because they are super smooth and versatile. I even wear them as eyeshadow sometimes. One downside to note: BECCA pressed powders are super delicate, so store them somewhere safe and pick a more durable formula for travel.

Pros: Intense and buildable highlight, shade range incorporates a variety of skin tones, comes in multiple formulas

Cons: Powder is really delicate and breakable

Buy the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed at Sephora for $38

The best stick highlighter

Why you'll love it: With just one quick swipe, Glossier Haloscope gives you a dewy, natural highlight — if “natural” means “glowing like a you dipped your face in icing,” that is.

I’m a creamy stick highlighter devotteé, especially for daytime, and Glossier Haloscope is one of my favorites. It’s considered a “dew effect” highlighter (read: glossy and natural, not overly sparkly) with a nourishing formula containing coconut, castor seed, and sweet almond oil and real gemstones that give it pizazz.

It comes in three versatile shades — bronzey Topaz, pearly Quartz, and opalescent Moonstone. I use all three in different ways, treating Quartz and Moonstone as traditional highlighters and Topaz as a bronzer for a sun-kissed look. Sometimes I even pop them on my eyelid. The effect: kind of sweaty, but in a hot way.

Haloscope is pretty sheer, so each color adapts to multiple skin tones. Moonstone, for example, looks almost white in the tube, but blends out to a clear gloss with subtle opalescent sparkles.

I adore these for everyday use, and I’m not alone — Glossier won a Glamour Beauty Award in 2016 and has been recommended by countless other publications, including The Strategist.

“When it comes to daytime makeup, this product is one of my go-tos and certainly one of my most-used ‘natural’ highlighters,” writes Rio Viera-Newton.

Pros: Dewy, natural highlight; convenient stick packaging, great for travel, three versatile shades

Cons: Avoid if you are sensitive to oils

Buy Haloscope at Glossier for $22

The best natural highlighter palette

Why you'll love it: The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette is not a highlighter palette in the traditional sense, but that’s exactly what makes it so special.

If you’re not a fan of a really intense, strobing highlight, here’s something different. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette contains six powders that give you a glow visible from the moon, but without the sparkle you find with many highlighters. This is a true “lit from within” vibe.

I’ve tried these powders in a variety of different ways, but I love Dim Light, which blurs imperfections and gives skin luminosity, under my eyes and in the t-zone, Incandescent Light on the cheekbones as a subtle highlight, and Radiant Light under the cheeks for natural bronze glow.

This is roughly how the brand recommends applying the powders, but you really can mix it up to find what’s best for your face and skin tone — there’s even an entire Reddit thread dedicated to discussing how to use it.

Many of the more than 1,000 reviews on Sephora (the palette has a 4.3 rating) also point out how incredible this palette makes their skin look in photos, so it could be a fabulous option if you have a big event, like a wedding, coming up.

The biggest note of praise I can bestow on these powders? They considerably lessen the trauma of accidentally opening your phone to the front-facing camera.

Pros: Gives a gorgeous and natural glow, works for a lot of skin tones, minimal sparkle

Cons: There’s a bit of a learning curve and the price tag is high

Buy the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette at Nordstrom for $80

Buy the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette at Sephora for $62 (out of stock) 

• The payments ecosystem is undergoing a period of digital transformation, which will spur tremendous growth in money moved around the globe in the next five years.
• Consumers and businesses will make 841 billion noncash transactions worldwide in 2023, up from 577 billion in 2018.
• The next five years will mark a pivotal transformation in how companies and consumers handle payments.

The impact of payments’ digital transformation is rippling around the world, in both advanced economies and developing countries.

Across major global regions, the total volume of e-commerce transactions is expected to rise 91% over the next five years to hit $5.7 trillion by 2023.

With such impending immense growth, it’s crucial for any business that even touches the payments industry to understand what’s ahead.

Take, for example, noncash transactions, which include debit card, credit card, direct debit, and credit transfer transactions that are conducted either online or offline. Consumers and businesses will make 841 billion noncash transactions globally in 2023, a 46% surge from 577 billion in 2018. The rise in global card and terminal penetration, coupled with increasing digital payments volume, will will be the key drivers in this growth.

To successfully navigate this changing landscape, individuals and organizations must understand the full extent to which digital transformation will affect the payments industry, the key drivers of this growth, and how it all relates to the work they do every day.

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, has forecasted the future of the payments ecosystem in The Payments Forecast Book 2018— and the next five years will be critical for the following four areas:

• Global Payments: Asia, North America, and Europe will be the three main growth regions in the next five years, and will make up 70% of all noncash transaction growth by 2023.
• US Payments: In the US, P2P and retail payments combined will still be less than a quarter of the size of the B2B payments market by 2023 ($6.3 trillion vs. $27.3 trillion).
• US E-Commerce:Total e-commerce spending in the U.S. will surpass $1 trillion by 2023, and the average consumer will spend $2,959 online.
• US Emerging Payments: By 2023, 67% of US adults will have used BOPIS (Buy Online Pickup In Store) at least once in the last 12 months.

Want to Learn More?

People, companies, and organizations all over the world are racing to adopt the latest payments solutions and prevent growing pains amidst a technological transformation. The Payments Forecast Book 2018 from Business Insider Intelligence is a detailed four-part slide deck outlining the most important trends impacting the payments ecosystem around the world — and the key drivers propelling each segment forward.

Representing thousands of hours of exhaustive research, our multipart forecast books are considered must-reads by thousands of highly successful business professionals. These informative slide decks are packed with charts and statistics outlining the most influential trends on the leading edge of your industry. Keep them for reference or drop the most valuable data into your own presentations to share with your teams.

Whether you’re newly interested in a topic or you already consider yourself a subject matter expert, The Payments Forecast Book 2018 can provide you with the actionable insights you need to make better decisions.

Join the conversation about this story »

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Retail store associates are frustrated about being overworked and unable to help customers as effectively as they'd like, with 55% saying they agree that their company is understaffed, according to a survey by Zebra Technologies.

Additionally, 42% of associates report that they have little time to help shoppers due to pressure to finish other tasks, and 28% said it’s hard for them to get information to help shoppers when they can’t find what they’re looking for.

Equipping store associates with technology may help address customer service issues. Eighty-three percent of retail decision makers and 74% of store associates believe that customers would have a better shopping experience if employees were equipped with technology — especially handheld mobile computers and barcode scanners.

This would give workers access to more information that could enable them to better aid shoppers — a big advantage, given that over a quarter of associates say there's no customer information available to them.

Retailers already seem to be realizing the importance of equipping their store associates with the tools they need to be more effective. Around 60% of retailers are planning to increase their spending on handheld mobile computers by more than 6% over the next three years, and 21% are planning on spending more than 10% on tablets.

Additionally, some companies are giving their employees the ability to carry out more functions from anywhere in the store. For example, both Walmart and Target recently introduced a mobile checkout feature that allows associates to check customers out from anywhere in a store. And Walmart even debuted a service that allows customers to place an online order through store employees, which they can then pay for in-store at a register using any payment method.

Going forward, more effective store employees could permanently streamline the in-store shopping experience. If customers can get better, more accurate help finding what they need, their visits will be more streamlined and efficient. This change may be further emphasized by new features like mobile checkout and ordering online from within a store, as these services may minimize the pressure on the checkout area, lowering wait times.

Since 34% of shoppers cited long checkout lines as the top reason to abandon the in-store shopping journey, according to Zebra Technologies data sent to Business Insider Intelligence, this could have a large impact on retailers' sales. Companies seem to be preparing for this evolution, as about half of retail decision makers (52%) are converting point-of-sale (POS) space into self-checkout, and 62% are transforming it for online order pickup space.

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SEE ALSO: Amazon is taking aggressive action to counter seller scams

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• At a New York charity event last week aimed at increasing the number of women and minorities in investment management, hedge fund manager David Abrams told attendees he doesn't know why more women are not in the industry. 
• Abrams said 43% of employees at $8.7 billion fund Abrams Capital are women, but his investment team skews heavily male. 
• "I don't have a silver bullet to fix" the gender disparity issue, Abrams said.

Investment teams at big hedge funds are overwhelmingly male, a well-known problem the industry has acknowledged for years.

The problem managers are now running into is that they do not know how to fix it — especially as, in their eyes, the industry is more than ready to accept women.

"Out-and-out prejudice" against women and minorities that used to be common is nearly nonexistent in finance and investment management, said David Abrams, managing partner of $8.7 billion Abrams Capital. Abrams was speaking in a rare public appearance at the Project Punch Card Value Investing Conference last week in New York aimed at boosting the number of women and minorities in the industry.

“I’m not totally sure what exactly is going on," Abrams said, in a comment reminiscent of those Pershing Square's Bill Ackman made in 2016 about not being able to find any female investors to hire. 

Abrams said he has seen a more equal gender split at business schools, and the two-year programs investment banks run that pull their ranks from fresh college graduates.

“Somehow the women are falling off after that," Abrams said. 

His firm is 43% female, Abrams said, and includes women in senior leadership positions, such as general counsel, but noted his investment team is more heavily skewed to men, though he declined to give the exact gender breakdown on the unit. Abrams said he had an opening five years ago on his investment team, and received roughly 50 to 60 resumes after hiring a search firm. But none of the resumes belonged to a woman.

Investing teams in the hedge fund space are notoriously low on women portfolio managers. A Wall Street Journal analysis of the industry from August found that just two of the 50 biggest funds were managed by women. A Money Management Institute report from 2017 found that women and minorities only run 1.1% of the entire asset management industry's money. 

Abrams acknowledged that he still hears "complete horses---" opinions from some in the industry, like "women aren't good risk takers," but believes most of that prejudice "has disappeared." 

The challenge many firms may be running into is that senior leaders at firms are often overwhelming white and male. This may make it hard for young, diverse candidates to see their career path, according to some top investors. 

Ariel Investments' CEO John Rogers, one of the most prominent black investors in the US, said his firm has been able to attract "dynamic young talent" precisely because the upper levels of his organization is diverse.  

“They see people that look them in our organization," he said at the conference. 

For his part, Abrams said he is driven to change the status quo and that he is open to "people telling me to do x, y and z to fix it."

He said he was recently at a wedding and spoke with a female portfolio manager about the gender disparity in investment teams.

“She said ‘well when you had 50 or 60 resumes, and you didn’t get any women, did you ask specifically for women's resumes?’ and I said ‘I didn’t, but next time I will.’ I thought I had done what I was supposed to be doing, and somehow I came up short," he said.

"I don't have a silver bullet for this issue." 

Join the conversation about this story »

• A nurse at a Brazilian hospital shared the heartwarming story of one of her homeless patients.
• The man, César, came into the emergency room at 3 a.m. for help with a pre-existing health condition.
• The nurse, Cris Mamprim, and her colleagues noticed a group of stray dogs waiting for César at the entrance of the hospital, as he takes care of them and feeds them.
• Dogs are too good for this world.

On December 9, Cris Mamprim was working the night shift at Hospital Regional Alto Vale in Rio do Sul, Brazil, when a homeless man named César came in seeking treatment.

While he was getting treated for a pre-existing condition, Mamprim noticed that a group of dogs had congregated outside the door, waiting for their friend to get released. And, as Mamprim noted on The Dodo, these dogs looked much more well-fed than your average stray animals.

Read more: An IKEA store in Italy is letting stray dogs inside to warm up during the winter, and the pictures will warm your heart

César eventually admitted that he had stopped eating in order to care for his furry friends, Mamprim shared on Facebook. "A simple person, without luxury, who depends on help to overcome the hunger, the cold, the pain, the evils of the world, has by his side the best companions, and the exchange is reciprocal," wrote Mamprim.

She added, "Seeing them like this, waiting at the door, just shows how well they are cared for and loved."

These good boys refused to leave until César was ready to join them. But not before the hospital staff allowed them inside for a meal.

Read the full post below, and maybe have the tissues ready.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

• Read more:
• This stray was living on the streets before he was adopted by a police officer — now he's overcoming stereotypes as one of the UK's first pit bull police dogs
• A dog received a lifesaving kidney donation from one of her puppies
• This golden retriever was named 'Dog of the Year' after going viral for saving his owner from a snake bite
• 10 viral dog adoption stories that rocked the internet in 2018

Join the conversation about this story »

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

LONDON — Theresa May will face a leadership challenge this evening after 48 Tory MPs sent letters demanding a no-confidence vote.

Conservative MP Graham Brady, the committee's chairman, said a ballot will be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. (GMT) tonight in the House of Commons.

"The votes will be counted immediately afterwards and an announcement will be made as soon as possible in the evening," Brady said.

The prime minister has told hostile Conservative MPs that she is seeking significant changes to the Brexit deal and will stand down before the next election in 2022 in an attempt to win their support. 

We'll find out whether it has worked when the result is announced at around 9 p.m. (GMT).

Follow Business Insider's liveblog for the latest developments in another hectic day at Westminster.

SEE ALSO: Theresa May hints she will quit before next election in last-minute bid to save her leadership

19:01: Here's what the ballot paper looks like

... Sarah Wollaston MP tweeted a picture of it. 

We're not sure if that's allowed, but whatever.

18:45: May's opponents don't trust her resignation promise

The European Research Group's recent Whatsapp messages have been leaked to Business Insider's Adam Payne. Here's what has been said in the last few minutes.

Helen Mayer — a leading member of the StandUp4Brexit campaign — has thanked MPs who have tried to oust May for their work, "whatever the result."

She has paid tribute to leading Brexiteer Steve Baker, who she says is "a superstar in Parliament with too many political pygmies."

MPs in the Whatsapp group also paid  tribute to chief Brexiteers Iain Duncan Smith, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Owen Paterson.

Intetestingly, there is some suspicion about May's promise to quit before the next scheduled election in 2022.

Anna Bailey MP wrote: "How can she say she won't lead them into the next GE when that election could be anytime, esp with backstop on the table (hence no support from DUP)? It makes no sense whatsoever."

18:20: Here's what happened in the 1922 committee meeting

The 1922 Committee meeting of Conservative MPs has just finished. The MPs will now go and cast their ballots in the no confidence vote in Theresa May's leadership.

Here's what May told the meeting:

• She will stand down as leader and prime minister before the next election, reportedly leaving some ministers in tears.
• She WON'T call another snap general election.
• She is trying to get legal changes to the controversial backstop for avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.

MPs in the room have reported an "emotional" atmosphere.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and senior MP James Cleverly said there was high levels of support for the prime minister ahead of the confidence vote. However, it wasn't a totally positive reaction for May. Lee Rowley MP reportedly told her "stamina isn't a policy" while others demanded a specific date for her resignation.