Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 70894 articles
Browse latest View live

Alaska Airlines had to halt flights across the country because of an outage in Seattle

$
0
0

alaska airlines

  • Alaska Airlines had an outage in Seattle on Sunday morning that left flights grounded. 
  • Some flights still showed as on time, leaving passengers confused about whether flights had been canceled. 
  • As of early Sunday, 5 flights had been canceled and 27 were delayed because of the outage, an Alaska Airlines representative told Business Insider.
  • Some passengers were headed to a big consumer electronics conference called CES in Las Vegas, and others were headed to JPMorgan's healthcare conference in San Francisco.

Alaska Airlines halted flights on Sunday morning, leaving customers stuck at the airport, after a national outage that began at 3:30 a.m. Pacific time and ended at 5:15 a.m.

The airline stopped some customers from boarding flights, and gate agents weren't sure when flights would resume. 

A representative for Alaska Airlines told Business Insider that the outage took place in the airline's Seattle office, impacting the operations system and causing the airline to ground flights. 

The representative on Sunday morning said five flights were canceled and 27 were delayed because of the outage. 

The outage likely occurred because of high winds in Seattle. 

The delays and cancellations are affecting travelers heading to the annual Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas and the JPMorgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco, including Business Insider reporters.

 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Craig Jackson of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company has one of the world's most expensive private garages — take a look inside


5 DevOps startups to bet your career on in 2019

$
0
0

Edith Harbaugh LaunchDarkly

DevOps, the term for a philosophy of combining software development and operations, is turning into a big business — as software continues eating the world, DevOps is a methodology for helping developers write more software, faster. 

On a larger scale, tech giants are investing in DevOps as well. Just a few years ago, investors would have balked at developer-focused startups. But in 2018, the industry proved that it's here to stay. Microsoft acquired GitHub, Google Cloud is snapping up a DevOps research firm, and now, with DevOps startups, developers want in. These startups range from ones that help companies release code faster, to those that help IT departments keep up.

It's not just in terms of M&A, either. The most in-demand job that recruiters are looking for on LinkedIn is that of DevOps engineer. As those roles fill up, they'll need DevOps-focused tools to help them do their jobs. Enter the new class of DevOps startups that are helping plug that gap. 

We looked at a variety of factors when selecting this list including the experience of leaders and founders, the reputations of investors and the amount of funding raised along with valuations, based on data from online finance database Pitchbook, keeper of such records. We also selected startups at a variety of stages from just starting out, to well established.

Here are the five DevOps startups to bet your career on in 2019:

SEE ALSO: 44 enterprise startups to bet your career on in 2019

NPM: a package manager

Valuation: $48 million
Total raised to date: $18.6 million
Year founded: 2014
HQ: Oakland, CA

What it does: NPM manages Node.js, which is one of the world's largest software registries and helps JavaScript developers easily share chunks of code.

Why it's hot: NPM has benefitted greatly from DevOps boom, and in just the last four years, it has already raised almost $19 million. As Node.js continues to grow in popularity, NPM stands to benefit. 



LaunchDarkly: a on/off switch for test features

Valuation: $90 million
Total raised to date: $34.84 million
Year founded: 2014
HQ: Oakland, CA

What it does: LaunchDarkly helps developers test and manage how new features get deployed to an app's users. With LaunchDarkly, customers can quickly manage features, switching them on and off for select batches of test users. 

Why it's hot: When LaunchDarkly first tried to raise seed funding in 2014, investors laughed. But fast forward to now, and DevOps is all the rage. LaunchDarkly, a DevOps startup, has proved that it can help with the practice of deploying code faster, something that is going to become increasingly important in the years to come.



Snyk: hunting through your software for threats

Valuation: $100 million
Total raised to date: $32.04 million
Year founded: 2015
HQ: London

What it does: Snyk automates the process of finding and fixing vulnerabilities in open source software. In other words, it continuously keeps a lookout for security issues in your code — and fixes them.

Why it's hot: This year, Snyk raised $22 million on a $100 million valuation. As breaches and vulnerabilities become more common and continue to make headlines, more venture capitalists are investing in security. This kind of approach will help DevOps teams make sure their software is secure, even as they accelerate the rate at which they deliver code.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The blowout jobs report seems to 'make a mockery' of recession fears, economist says

$
0
0

trump and some construction workers

  • The employment report out Friday flew past economist expectations.
  • That contrasted with recent talk of an imminent downturn.
  • Now, questions have emerged surrounding whether concerns about the economy are overdone.

Eyeing a burgeoning labor market, some are rethinking warnings of an imminent downturn.

The December employment report out Friday showed the US added the most jobs since February and that wage gains accelerated at their fastest pace since 2009, raising questions on whether concerns about the economy have been overdone.

"The far bigger than expected 312,000 jump in non-farm payrolls in December would seem to make a mockery of market fears of an impending recession,” Paul Ashworth, chief economist at Capital Economics, said in an email.

A flurry of concerns, including an ongoing trade war, fading stimulus and rising interest rates, have led to a blustery few months in financial markets and unnerved officials from Wall Street to Washington. In December, more than half of economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal predicted a recession would begin within the next two years. 

"I would prepare for it," Sheila Bair, who served as head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation during the 2008 financial crisis, recently said of a downturn. "Economic ups and downs are a part of the market-based system."

But with wage growth and the labor force participation rate moving higher, there may be more slack in the economy than had been previously thought, according to Principal Global Investors chief economist Bob Baur.

"This is an astounding report," he said. "If there's a bubble somewhere, it's in the talk of a recession."

President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attempted to discredit official Labor Department data in the past, celebrated the employment figures with an all-caps tweet. His administration also seized on the report, with White House Economic advisor Larry Kudlow saying on Bloomberg TV "there's no recession in sight."

Screen Shot 2019 01 04 at 3.47.51 PM

Still, the outlook for the US economy remains murky, especially in wake of sharply lower consumer confidence and manufacturing figures out this week. While the jobs report signals current and past business conditions, according to economists, factory-activity indicators tend to point to future performance.

Strong employment numbers have preceded downturns before. As Nick Timiraos of The Wall Street Journal pointed out Friday morning, the US economy added a robust 467,000 jobs just one year before the 2001 recession began. 

In any event, market watchers will be closely monitoring what booming employment could mean for monetary policy. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled on Friday the central bank sees a flexible rate path this year, saying that "wages going up is not necessarily inflationary."

But officials will keep an eye on recent manufacturing figures that were "well below expectation," he added while speaking at an economics conference in Atlanta.

Other economic indicators could offer more clarity in coming months, though key data is currently unavailable due to a partial shutdown of the federal government. While the Department of Labor is funded through September, other agencies like the Department of Commerce are unable to operate.

"We clearly need more data to get a better sense of how things are shaking out across the U.S. economy," said Josh Wright, chief economist at  iCIMS Inc., reacting to the employment report. "Too bad the partial government shutdown will reduce our data flow."

Now Read:

The stock market's best-performing trade has gotten a massive overhaul — here's what that means for investors and how they should adjust

A VC wanted to bet on a company to upend the $360 billion prescription-drug industry. He couldn't find one, so he just built his own.

SEE ALSO: Stocks soar after a trifecta of good news about jobs, the Fed, and Trump's trade war

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The equity chief at $6.3 trillion BlackRock weighs in on the trade war, a possible recession, and offers her best investing advice for a tricky 2019 landscape

Uber’s arbitration policy takes advantage of drivers, according to a Canadian court that just sided against the company

$
0
0

Toronto Cab Drivers Protest Uber

  • A judge in Canada said Uber's arbitration policies are designed to take advantage of drivers, who are powerless against the massive company. 
  • It's the latest in a string of court cases around the world brought by drivers unhappy with their status as independent contractors instead of employees. 

The court rulings against Uber are stacking up.

As the company races towards an initial public offering this year, a number of outstanding lawsuits by drivers unhappy with their status as independent contractors could weigh on the IPO.

A judge in Ontario's highest court said in a ruling on Wednesday that Uber has used its (technically) optional arbitration clause, one that forbids drivers from bringing court actions against the company, to "take advantage of its drivers, who are clearly vulnerable to the market strength of Uber."

The ruling allows the suit, lead by driver David Heller, to proceed in its attempts to certify the group of drivers as a cohesive group and attain the class status of a class action lawsuit.

Under Uber Canada's terms and conditions, drivers who want to pursue arbitration for any disputes against the company have to do so overseas, in the Netherlands, and pay $14,500 up front to begin the proceedings. Those requirements are "unconscionable" and "invalid" the court said.

Read more: 12,000 Uber drivers say the company is refusing to honor the arbitration clause in its terms and conditions

Michael Wright, the lawyer for the plaintiffs in the case, said he's never seen anything like Uber's arbitration requirements in his career.

"This doesn't make it difficult for people to pursue arbitration," he said in an interview. "It makes it impossible."

Uber is reviewing the court’s decision, it said. "We are proud to offer a flexible earning opportunity to tens of thousands of drivers throughout Ontario," spokesperson Josh McConnell said in an email. 

Canada has been a tricky market for Uber, but is also the hearth of one some of its newest- and fastest-growing businesses. In Montreal, where it faced stiff backlash from taxi drivers and operated illegally for some time, its offices were raided by investigators in 2015 after years of tension. But in the largest city of Toronto, it’s quickly staffing up an office to handle things like grocery delivery and more Uber Eats expansion.

Arbitration has been a headache for Uber outside of Canada, too. While its policies for arbitration differ in the US, most notably in that the company must pay an arbiters fee to begin proceedings, drivers there are also prohibited from taking legal action against the company through the courts.

Last month, a group of more than 12,000 drivers filed a lawsuit against the company, saying it has refused to begin their arbitration processes. Even if it were to begin paying the fees on their disputes, working through all of the claims could take up to a decade.

And in Britain, a court in December sided with U.K. drivers in a decision that could give them a type of employment status, and thus be entitled to some benefits like paid vacations or a minimum wage.

"I think the message here is for companies," Lior Samfiru, another of the plaintiff's lawyers, told Canada's Financial Post. "If you’re going to operate in Ontario, if you’re going to operate in Canada, you have to abide by our laws … You have to play by the same rules as everyone else.”

Do you work or drive for Uber? Got a news tip? Contact this reporter at grapier@businessinsider.com

SEE ALSO: 12,000 Uber drivers say the company is refusing to honor the arbitration clause in its terms and conditions

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Craig Jackson of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company has one of the world's most expensive private garages — take a look inside

'This isn't a done deal': New York City Council speaker Corey Johnson lays out his plan to avoid being 'played' by Amazon

$
0
0

Corey Johnson

  • Amazon has chosen a site in Long Island City, Queens, for half of its HQ2 project.
  • The decision, announced in November, immediately became controversial among some New York politicians. In December, the New York City Council held a contentious hearing with Amazon, where members asked, among other things, why it was left out of discussions. 
  • In an interview with Business Insider, the council's speaker, Corey Johnson, laid out his plan to stop Amazon from coming to town — or to at least work with the company to be a "better corporate citizen."

It's likely that Amazon didn't get the response it expected in New York City.

After Amazon announced that part of its HQ2 project would land on a parcel of waterfront property in Long Island City, Queens, politicians were quick to condemn both the process for the agreement, which netted over $3 billion in potential tax breaks, and its potential implications.

Amazon received criticism from elected officials in the immediate aftermath of the decision's announcement, including from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, state Sen. Michael Gianaris, and New York City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer.

"We got played," the council's speaker, Corey Johnson, said during a contentious council hearing in December, where Amazon was forced to defend itself against questions from members for hours. Topics ranged from the HQ2 deal's secrecy to Amazon's involvement with ICE photo recognition software.

Holly Sullivan, the Amazon executive who led the search for HQ2, and Brian Huseman, Amazon's vice president of public policy, were in attendance and responding to questions.

Read more: 'I was not elected to be a cheerleader for Amazon': New York officials rail against Amazon's HQ2 deal amid shouts of protesters in a wild hearing

"I think [the Amazon executives] were surprised. I think they thought they were going to be welcomed with open arms," Johnson said in a late December interview with Business Insider. "I think they thought, 'Oh my God, when this is announced it's going to be, you know, like a birthday party.'"

Instead, they were largely met with skepticism.

"25,000 jobs doesn't impact our local economy here in the same way it impacts a local economy, say, in Pittsburgh or in Scranton or in Crystal City," Johnson said.

It's not over until it's over

Long Island City

Johnson has a warning for Amazon and its elected-official allies: this fight isn't over yet.

"I don't think anyone should assume that this is a fait accompli, and that this is a done deal," Johnson said. "This is the beginning of a process where the public and the City Council and other elected officials are going to continue to seek answers and understand whether or not this is a good deal for New York City, or if we got played."

Several more hearings are scheduled: one each in the months of January, February, and March. The final one will be a public hearing.

"I assume hundreds, or maybe even thousands of people will come out wanting to have their voice heard, since the public was cut out of this," Johnson said.

The hearings are in advance of a vote by the New York State Public Authorities Control Board, which has final say over the "approval of the financing and construction of any project proposed by state public benefit corporations," according to state law. 

The board is composed of five members, with representatives from the governor and legislative majorities of both the state assembly and the state senate. Representatives selected by the speaker of the assembly, the senate majority leader, and the governor all have veto power on the board.

There is precedent for the board rejecting plans, cancelling large, ambitious projects or throwing their future into great uncertainty. In 2005, the board rejected a $2.2 billion plan spearheaded by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg for a redevelopment that would have included a stadium on Manhattan's West Side to be used by the New York Jets and, possibly, for the 2012 Olympic Games.

amazon protest nyc 7609

Johnson anticipates a vote on Amazon's HQ2 project in the spring, though the board has not said when it plans to hold it. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's appointee on the board, Robert F. Mujica Jr., told the New York Times in November that a vote would not necessarily be held on the $500 million state grant itself, though it's unclear whether the board is able to vote piecemeal on parts of the plan.

Johnson is more confident, however.

"This still has to go through that process, which means that we have to continue to ask questions before the Public Authorities Control Board meets and makes a determination," Johnson said.

Stopping Amazon — or not

Johnson also said he doesn't necessarily want to stop the Amazon deal from going through, if Amazon would be willing to make some concessions.

"If Amazon would agree to labor peace agreements, if Amazon would agree to investing in our infrastructure, our subways, if Amazon would agree to treating their employees a certain way, if Amazon wanted to be a good corporate citizen in New York City," Johnson said, he and other critics would be more amenable to the HQ2 project.

He said the currently announced plans, which include a school and its payments in lieu of taxes going to an infrastructure fund, don't cut it.

"Amazon [is] throwing us crumbs and expecting us to have a Thanksgiving feast," Johnson said.

In the meantime, Johnson continues to be critical of Amazon and its plans for the city. Those plans include a helipad for the proposed headquarters, which he called the "putrid rotten cherry on top of a Sundae with old ice cream that's gone bad."

Read more: 'Do you realize how out of touch that seems?': NYC lawmakers rail against Amazon for HQ2 helipad demand in heated hearing

Johnson said he doesn't see the anger subsiding on the part of the public, which he expects to "remain engaged."

"I think that the more people talk about this, the more people understand the impact that this is going to have on our city and state," he said.

"I think Amazon themselves made a tremendous mistake, whoever was advising them, which is coming to this city. It's going to be an issue for them."

SEE ALSO: Amazon dominated retail in 2018 — and no one else even came close to touching it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Almost 80% of the textbook industry is dominated by 5 publishing companies that make books so expensive most students skip buying them

We flew Aer Lingus from Dublin to New York to see if it's a hidden gem among Europe's best airlines. Here's the verdict

$
0
0

Aer Lingus Review

  • Aer Lingus is Ireland's national airline.
  • Since 2015, Aer Lingus has been part of International Airlines Group or IAG and is a sister company of British Airways and Iberia
  • We recently had the chance to fly Aer Lingus between New York and the airline's home base in Dublin on board a new Airbus A330. 
  • We were impressed with the airline's service, cabin amenities, and entertainment options.

Ireland is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. In 2017, nearly 9 million people visited the island nation, 1.7 million of which hailed from North America. 

Aer Lingus was founded in 1936 and is Ireland's national airline despite the fact that it's actually the country's second-largest carrier behind ultra-low-cost giant Ryanair.

In case you're wondering, its name is an anglicization of the Irish words for "air fleet."

In the late 2000s, Aer Lingus suffered greatly from the fallout of the financial crisis. This led to a succession of failed takeover attempts by Ryanair. 

International Airlines Group or IAG completed a €1.5 billion or $1.7 million takeover of Aer Lingus in late 2015, making the airline a sister company of legacy brands like British Airways and Iberia. 

Read more: I flew Virgin Atlantic from London to New York to see if Richard Branson's airline is still one of the world's best — here's the verdict.

These days, Aer Lingus is a four-star airline according to the reviewers at consumer aviation website Skytrax and operates a fleet of around 50 Airbus and Boeing jets. 

Recently, I had the chance to visit the Emerald Isle with my fiance and as part of the experience, we chose to fly Aer Lingus between Newark Liberty International Airport just outside of New York and the airline's home base in Dublin Airport. 

Aer Lingus operates flights to 13 US cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and Seattle. The airline also flies to two destinations in Canada; Toronto and Montreal. 

We took Aer Lingus Flight EI100 to Dublin and returned home on Flight EI101. 

Here's a look at our experience in economy class on board Aer Lingus Flight EI101 from Dublin to Newark. 

SEE ALSO: The 21 safest airlines in the world

FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content!

After a weekend of fun in Ireland, it was time to return home. We arrived at Dublin Airport Terminal 2 nearly three hours early for our flight. We'll explain why in a bit.



I had trouble checking in to the flight using the Aer Lingus website and app.



And... the kiosk didn't work either.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THE DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM: An in-depth examination of the players and tech trends reshaping the future of healthcare (AAPL, IBM, ANTM, GOOGL, MSFT, AMZN, PFE, GE, MCK, TMUS, WMT, WBA, MRK, CVS)

$
0
0

bii digital health ecosystem graphic 2019 altThis is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence,  Business Insider's premium research service. Current subscribers can read the report here.

Until now, healthcare was the only remaining industry that had yet to feel the rapid impact of digitization endured by retail, banking, and media. But consumer adoption of digital tech, regulatory overhauls, and a shifting reimbursement model are forcing healthcare players' hands. US Employers Average Annual Premium Contributions Are Rising

Digital health innovation offers market incumbents new opportunities to combat constricting margins, labor shortages, and rising costs.

But it also poses a threat to slow movers, as new entrants lean on their digital prowess and lack of legacy infrastructure to cut costs and remain nimble. As such, incumbents are turning to acquisitions, partnerships, and new investments to strengthen their digital health services.

The first Digital Health Ecosystem Report from Business Insider Intelligence explores the current healthcare ecosystem, industry trends that are driving digital transformation, and where the industry is headed. FORECAST: Penetration of Electronic Health Record Systems in the US

We outline the role of each of the industry's major players — including payers, providers, and manufacturers — and how they're affected by healthcare's digital disruption. 

 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • Digital health is at the forefront of transformation in the healthcare industry — both as a driver of and an answer to the challenges industry players are grappling with.
  • All of the industry's major players — including payers, providers, and manufacturers — are affected by healthcare's digital disruption.
  • A confluence of forces induced healthcare's embrace of digital health, including changing consumer expectations, a new and disruptive reimbursement model, and rising healthcare costs
  • Tech-focused entrants are also breaking into healthcare, acting as catalysts for change and threatening legacy players' bottom lines.
  • Key digital health solutions like EHRs, digital therapeutics, telehealth, AI, wearables, and blockchain are the foundation of the industry's digital awakening.
  • Early evidence that digital health can address many of the industry's myriad challenges has fueled a vibrant US digital health funding market in 2018, with overall funding hitting $6.8 billion at the end of Q3. 

 In full, the report:

  • Details the US healthcare landscape by the role that payers, providers, manufacturers, and distributors play in the healthcare ecosystem.
  • Gives an overview of how digital health is enabling incumbents to overcome industry challenges.
  • Outlines how tech-focused healthcare entrants are pressuring incumbents and accelerating healthcare's digital transformation
  • Identifies promising digital health funding areas to illustrate what the future of digital health will look like.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

  1. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >>Purchase & Download Now
  2. Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >>Learn More Now

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you've given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the fast-moving world of the Digital Health.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Aetna, Alphabet, Amazon, American Well, AmerisourceBergen, Anthem, Apple, Arizona Care Network, Arterys, Babylon Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Bay Labs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Blue Mesa Health, Bright Health, Cardinal Health, Cedars-Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, Clover Health, CVS, DePuy Synthes, Devoted Health, Dexcom, Doctor on Demand, Express Scripts, Fitbit, Fresenius Medical Care, GE Healthcare, Geisinger, Glooko, GSK, healthfinch, IBM, IDx, Johnson & Johnson, Mass General, McKesson, Medtronic, Merck & Co., Merck KGaA, Microsoft, NewYork-Presbyterian, Northwell Health, Novartis, Olive, Omada Health, Optum Rx, Oscar Health, Pear Therapeutics, Pfizer, Philips, PillPack, ResMed, Rite Aid, Roche, Samsung, Sanofi, Senseonics, Suki, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, T-Mobile, UnitedHealth Group, Verily, Viant, Walgreens, Walmart, Wellpepper, Zocdoc

 

 

SEE ALSO: Patients are transforming from passive recipients of healthcare services to active participants in their own health

Join the conversation about this story »

Pfizer has a new strategy for fighting cancer that could generate $5 billion a year. We got a look inside. (PFE)

$
0
0

Pfizer

  • Developing drugs to treat cancer is a major part of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's future strategy.
  • Pfizer already has a presence in treatments for breast cancer and prostate cancer but is working to expand that. The company hopes that oncology franchises will start bringing in an additional $5 billion annually in the next several years.
  • Andy Schmeltz, Pfizer's global head of oncology, told Business Insider about the "recipe" that will help set the company apart.

Sitting in his spacious, wood-accented midtown office, Pfizer oncology chief Andy Schmeltz gestures to a diagram that charts out the drug giant's agenda for the next several years.

It shows the pharmaceutical company's ambitious "15 in 5" plan, laying out the 15 franchises that could become billion-dollar sellers for the company — far more than the five and two produced in prior five-year spans.

It's impossible not to notice how many of the drugs treat cancer. At a third of the list, oncology is a division Pfizer hopes that by 2022 will start bringing in at least $5 billion more each year, with at least a billion in sales expected in total from four new cancer drugs that were recently approved.

"We're glad you noticed," Schmeltz said, smiling.

One stereotype in the healthcare industry goes something like this: Small, adaptable biotech companies come up with innovative new drugs, and then large, slow-moving pharmaceutical companies sweep in and buy them.

The perception has held particularly strong for Pfizer, which ranks as one of the biggest US drugmakers, with a nearly $250 billion market cap and up to $55.5 billion in expected 2018 revenue. Pfizer is perhaps best known for the erectile-dysfunction medication Viagra and the high-cholesterol treatment Lipitor.

The 170-year-old drug behemoth is on a mission to change that, though, with oncology set to play a key role. As part of its focus on producing more cutting-edge medicines, Pfizer recently announced a spin-off of its consumer-health business with GlaxoSmithKline that will include popular brands like Advil, ChapStick and Emergen-C.

The company "gets the rap, historically, of being large and slow and, to be honest with you, if you go back not too many years, had a reputation for questionable R&D [research and development] productivity," Schmeltz told Business Insider last month. But "when we see the science moving in a particular direction, we can really move quickly."

A 'recipe' for cancer investments

Pfizer is currently focused on two types of cancer: breast cancer, through drugs including its flagship medication Ibrance, and prostate cancer, through its drug Xtandi.

Schmeltz, a 16-year Pfizer veteran who came up through the commercial side of the company and started as global president of Pfizer Oncology a year ago, pointed to Ibrance as an example of how quickly Pfizer can move.

Andy Schmeltz, Pfizer cancer chief

The breast-cancer drug had its first major data presentation just three years before its US approval in 2015, Pfizer says. Today, it says, about 73% of people with advanced breast cancer are eligible for Ibrance or a medication like it.

The drug giant also has ambitions in treatments for renal cell carcinoma (Sutent, Inlyta, and Inlyta plus Bavencio), lung cancer (Xalkori, Lorbrena, and Vizimpro) and hematology, Schmeltz said, plus targeted immunotherapy approaches with avelumab.

Read more:From the gene therapy that spurred a $9 billion acquisition to a CBD medication for rare types of childhood epilepsy, here are the 12 promising drugs to watch in 2019

Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger, who has called Ibrance Pfizer's top growth driver, said late last month that "its oncology pipeline includes a collective group of new cancer drugs that add up to blockbuster sales potential."

Not all Pfizer's investments have panned out. Two late-stage ovarian-cancer studies failed in recent months. Bavencio has also had failures when tried in other types of cancers.

Pfizer is also active in longer-term research, the third prong of the company's strategy, which it hopes will produce the next big medical innovations.

Other companies working in oncology — and there are a growing number — have become leaders in immuno-oncology, which uses the body's immune system to fight cancer, or focus on blood cancers.

But part of what Schmeltz calls "the right recipe" means doing the opposite, or investing in a balanced way across different anticancer approaches.

Today, that means using roughly half of Pfizer's resources to invest in categories like small-molecule, targeted, and precision therapies, or drugs that target specific cancer-linked molecules, and roughly half in immuno-oncology approaches, according to Schmeltz, "rather than disproportionately going in one direction or the other."

"We're trying to be thoughtful that, given the unmet need in oncology, you can't have deep expertise and capability in everything across oncology," he told Business Insider.

Cancer, immunotherapy, immuno-oncology

Read more:A Yale scientist who pioneered a cutting-edge approach to cancer treatment is warning that the field is going off-course — and that drug giants could be making it worse

Building from breast and prostate cancer

The pharmaceutical giant also plans to keep leading in treatments for breast and prostate cancer, Schmeltz said.

If ongoing studies testing Ibrance in early breast cancer and as an add-on therapy are successful, they "could really expand the utility of Ibrance to women with breast cancer before the cancer has metastasized, which really could make a profound difference for them," he said, referring to the process by which cancer spreads in the body.

Those results are expected around 2020 or later. Including a form of metastatic breast cancer that Ibrance is already approved for, success could mean roughly doubling the number of people eligible for the drug, according to Schmeltz.

The same strategy applies in prostate cancer as well. Pfizer acquired Xtandi, which is jointly commercialized with Japan's Astellas Pharma, as part of a $14 billion acquisition of Medivation back in 2016. It started off in the metastatic disease and recently got a US approval in a nonmetastatic form of the disease.

The drug is also being studied in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer and nonmetastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer — all paving the way to a wider potential patient population, Schmeltz said.

Read more:Pfizer executives are changing their tune on an approach for a promising new way to treat cancer, and it could be where the field is headed

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The reason some men can't grow full beards, according to a dermatologist


Media companies are launching streaming services to survive — here's how they can thrive

$
0
0

movies streaming

Consumers having been “cutting the cord,” or canceling their pay-TV subscriptions in favor of internet-delivered alternatives, for years now, but the trend reached new heights in 2017. 

There’s little reason to believe that this phenomenon will slow down any time soon either, so pay-tv providers will have to find new ways to generate revenue as their primary source continues to erode. 

One of the most prominent ways media companies are recuperating cord-cutting losses is by launching their own direct-to-consumer streaming services. 

But what makes for a successful streaming video service? 

The Business Insider Intelligence Digital Media research team has written a note breaking down the evolving landscape of streaming video on-demand (SVOD). The note looks at which characteristics consumers care about most in a streaming service and which are just "nice to have." 

To get your FREE copy, click here.

Join the conversation about this story »

The biggest healthcare investor conference starts on Monday — here are the top 5 areas we're keeping an eye on

$
0
0

Jamie Dimon

Starting Monday, thousands of pharmaceutical industry executives, investors, bankers, and analysts will swarm into San Francisco for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Now in its 37th year, the conference has ballooned from a small event with 150 attendees that was essentially the "birth of biotech," to an event attended by everyone from the biggest pharma company to the smallest biotech. JPMorgan said more than 485 companies are scheduled to present this year.

It's a spot for these companies to meet with investors and each other, and can be the starting point for takeovers or other deals. 

It's also a place where more deals — maybe even on the scale of Thursday's $74 billion merger between Bristol-Myers Squibb and Celgene— could get announced. 

From confronting the threat of technology giants' healthcare advances to covering the cost of one-time treatments, here are some of the key topics we'll be asking about this week. 

We'll be sending out our best stories from the week in Dispensed, our weekly dispatch of pharma, biotech, and healthcare news. Sign up here.

Who’s next to merge?

2018 saw a number of mega-deals, including the $77 billion Takeda-Shire merger. Now with the BMS-Celgene deal in place, the healthcare industry is wondering who might be next to pair up.

"With large caps, generally, falling under pressure the last few years, one has to acknowledge the potential for additional consolidation of profitable companies," Baird Equity Research biotech analyst Brian Skorney wrote in a note Thursday. 

Alternatively, Celgene could find another dance partner in a counter-bid.

Alethia Young, an analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald remarked in a note Thursday that it's possible others go in to big on Celgene — specifically Amgen and Johnson & Johnson. That's in large part because of the two companies focus on hematology. Joining up with either of those two companies could create more synergies than the company has with BMS. 



How will we pay for seven-figure drugs? What about other costly treatments?

The issue of paying for medications is now a constant conversation for the drug industry, with prices continuing to go up even after political pressure in 2018. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on pharma's 2019 plans.

But a new wrinkle that's quickly coming into focus: How are we going to pay for one-time treatments?

Already, treatments like cell therapy for cancer treatments and a gene therapy for a hereditary form of blindness have tested the waters.

But more are in the works. That includes Novartis' gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic condition that affects muscle movement in children and is the leading genetic cause of mortality in infants that could be approved in the US by as early as May 2019. When that happens, Novartis said it would be cost-effective at a price of between $4-5 million

It might take some new payment arrangements to get health insurers on board to cover the cost of treatment, such as paying in installments over a set amount of time. What that looks like and who takes the lead on that will be a big question that should get answered in 2019. 



How has the pharma-payer power dynamic shifted?

In 2018, two massive healthcare deals closed, redrawing the lines around what defines a healthcare company: 

The health insurer Cigna combined with Express Scripts, which manages pharmacy benefits. And CVS Health, a big pharmacy chain that also owns a drug benefits business, acquired the health insurer Aetna.

We'll find out a lot more this year about the strategies of the combined companies. Both new firms will be looking for places to cut costs, as well as seeking to gain more control over how patients access healthcare. It's happening at a time when new medications are getting approved that challenge the way we pay for treatments.

It remains to be seen how the two newly formed healthcare companies wield their new negotiating power, and how drugmakers will respond to that increased pressure. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 50 best-selling cocktails in the world in 2019

$
0
0

bamboo cocktail

While the world of cocktails may seem to be constantly evolving, year after year it's the classic recipes that customers continue to demand.

In its January issue, Drinks International released its list of the world's best-selling classic cocktails in 2019 — and it shows that while bartenders may put a modern spin on old recipes, the desire for established, sophisticated drinks remains.

The website asked bartenders from 127 of the best bars in 38 countries around the world — all of which have won or been nominated for global awards over the past year — to rank their 10 best-selling cocktails.

Read more: The 30 best-selling cocktails in the world in 2018

It then weighted and ranked each drink to compile the list.

From Moscow mules to mai tais, scroll down to see the 50 best-selling cocktails in the world, ranked in ascending order, and to see how many you've tried.

50. White Russian

Made popular in the '90s by "The Big Lebowski," this vodka, cream, and coffee-liqueur cocktail may not be as trendy as it once was, but it still made its way into the top 50.



49. Bellini

Invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of Harry's Bar in Venice, the Bellini may not be considered to be a cocktail by some, with only two ingredients — prosecco and peach purée or nectar.



48. Champagne Cocktail

Made with sugar, Angostura bitters, Champagne, brandy, and a maraschino cherry as a garnish, the Champagne Cocktail seems a little outdated next to some of its more modern contenders.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There are 4 ski destinations in the world where homes consistently sell for over $25 million, and only one of them is in the US

$
0
0

Aspen Colorado home

  • Real estate consultancy Knight Frank's report on global ultra-prime destinations includes four ski destinations.
  • Three of those are in the Alps, including St. Moritz, the hidden gem beloved by the 1%.
  • Aspen is the only American market represented in the list of ultra-prime real estate markets.

The world's wealthiest people are buying homes in four main ski destinations globally, and they're focused mostly in the Alps. The only exception to the European dominance in this field — and it comes as no major surprise, given its reputation and prices — can be found in Aspen, Colorado.

That's according to a recent Knight Frank report on the global ultra-prime market, which looks at destinations that have seen at least three home sales over $25 million every year for the past three years running.

Those four ski destinations fit into a larger scheme of 17 total ultra-prime destinations, including cities like London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

While the town is home to a year-round population of only about 7,400, Aspen has for years been recognized as a hot spot for the rich and famous, attracting the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Elton John, and Jack Nicholson.

Media mogul Lachlan Murdoch numbers amongst the high net-worth individuals who have contributed to Aspen's ultra-prime standing; in 2017, he bought a $29 million mansion that includes a horse stable and a 300-bottle wine cellar.

Read more: 50 of the best ski resorts to visit this winter in the US and Canada, ranked from most expensive to least

The three European ski destinations can be found in St. Moritz, Courchevel, and Gstaad. The first two, in particular, are familiar names amongst celebrities and business moguls looking to kick back in style on and off the slopes, and both are host to resorts that have historically been listed amongst the most expensive in the world.

St. Moritz is, as Business Insider's Hillary Hoffower previously reported, a Swiss resort "... with world-class skiing, the birthplace of Alpine winter tourism, twice a home to the Winter Olympics, and a hidden gem for the one percent."

Gstaad, meanwhile, also in Switzerland, is home to the winter campus of the world's most expensive school, Switzerland's Institut Le Rosey.

SEE ALSO: A new report reveals the 17 most popular housing markets for the world's richest people, and a notoriously expensive city is missing from the list

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You've probably been cooking your turkey all wrong — here's how to do it in 90 minutes flat

We compared Costco and Jet prices to see which company offers better deals. Here's the verdict. (COST, WMT)

$
0
0

Costco Homepage 2

  • Costco and Walmart-owned Jet.comsell just about everything.
  • Both stores sell in bulk, offer free two-day shipping with membership, and carry inexpensive private-label products.
  • We compared prices across a few categories at both stores and found Costco was generally less expensive. Here's how they stack up.
Costco and Walmart-owned Jet.com sell just about everything.

The two companies have a lot in common, including two-day delivery on online orders and selling essentials in bulk quantities.

While Costco requires a membership to shop in its stores, it doesn't require one to shop online. The retail giant is well-loved by customers, and its website offers many similar deals to its stores. For shoppers who do hold a Costco membership, the warehouse club offers free two-day shipping for many essentials and same-day delivery for groceries. The website also has plenty of products from Costco's beloved private-label brand Kirkland Signature.

But Jet has been making strides to compete with Costco, like offering daily deals and free two-day shipping without membership fees. Though Jet can't compete with Costco's physical presence, it offers JetCash, which are rewards incentives that can be used as cash on the site. It also has a private-label brand called Uniquely J, which is designed to attract millennials by creating environmentally friendly products in artist-designed packaging.

Even though products are sometimes listed in different quantities or under different categories, the websites have a huge overlap in what they sell. To see which of the two stores had better deals and was more user-friendly, we compared common items from different categories on each site to see which had better deals.

Here's how the two compare:

SEE ALSO: We compared Amazon and Costco prices to see which company offers better deals. Here's the verdict.

Costco doesn't require a membership to shop online, but a membership is necessary to access two-day delivery. The homepage of the website is very busy.



Jet's website is less busy, and free two-day delivery is advertised on all orders of $35 or more.



Costco's category page is also very busy. The large number of categories makes it more difficult to find things.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

From the gene therapy that spurred a $9 billion acquisition to a CBD medication for rare types of childhood epilepsy, here are the 12 promising drugs to watch in 2019

$
0
0

Drug medicine pills

  • Investors should keep an eye on 12 key new drugs going into 2019, according to Jefferies analyst Michael Yee.
  • The medications range from a gene therapy that could be a game-changer for a rare disease to a CBD product for rare childhood epilepsy and a fish-based drug that could improve heart health.
  • But new drug launches can be a bumpy time for companies, so buying shares in these drugmakers may not make sense, Yee said.

New year, new drug launches. 

In 2019, there are 12 medications investors should watch out for, according to Jefferies analyst Michael Yee. All of them have either been approved or could be soon.

They include the gene therapy that spurred a $9 billion acquisition, a CBD medication for rare types of childhood epilepsy, and a drug that could be the first specifically approved for postpartum depression. 

But in spite of all the activity, Yee urged caution on buying shares in these biotech companies.

His key point: Nothing lifts a biotech's stock like a new drug approval — but what happens after that, when companies actually have to sell that medication, is often a mixed bag.

Few small to mid-size biotech companies had unequivocally strong launches this past year, with the exception of the drugmaker Neurocrine Biosciences, Yee said. Meanwhile, the landscape for drugmakers going into 2019 remains tricky.

"Given the challenging glass-half-empty environment, we argue the hurdle seems even higher for companies to deliver in 2019," Yee said.

Here are Yee's picks for next year's key new medications:

1. An eczema medication expanding into asthma

Already sold for the skin-inflammation condition eczema, Regeneron's Dupixent was just approved as a maintenance medication for moderate-to-severe asthma in mid-October. The 2019 launch will be important, Yee said.

The connection between eczema and asthma may not appear obvious, but both are diseases where inflammation plays, or is thought to play, a role. Dupixent is also being tested out in many other inflammation-related diseases, including grass and peanut allergies, with plans to study it in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well.

See more:A treatment for the most common food allergy could be available next year, and one biotech just drew ahead in the race for the $3 billion market

2. A longer-lasting rare disease drug

Alexion's blockbuster drug, Soliris, has been on the market for the ultra-rare blood disorder paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) for 11 years. Also approved for other conditions, Soliris is a linchpin product for Alexion, having brought in nearly 90% of the biotech's 2017 revenue.

It's perhaps no surprise, then, that the company is steeling for new competition. 

The company's new product, Ultomiris, is intended to be a next-generation version of the drug. Ultomiris extends the timeline that patients have to get dosed, from bi-weekly to every eight weeks; it also conveniently provides new patent protections for the biotech.

Alexion got Ultomiris approved last week, and its plans to switch patients over "will matter a lot," Yee said. 

3. The first cannabis-derived drug in the US

gw pharma medical marijuana growhouse

The best known compound in cannabis is THC, but another, non-psychoactive component, CBD, powers the medication Epidiolex, the first cannabis-derived drug in the US. 

The prescription medication, made by GW Pharmaceuticals, was approved over the summer for two rare childhood seizure disorders and just launched November 1.

Read more:A drug derived from marijuana has triggered the first federal shift on cannabis in half a century, and experts predict an avalanche effect

4. Two rare disease drugs in a space that once had no medications at all

When Alnylam's Onpattro was approved in August, it became the first US treatment for the rare, progressive disease ATTR amyloidosis.

Now, there are two drugs for the disease: Onpattro and Ionis/Akcea's Tegsedi, which was approved by the FDA in October. Though distinct, both are intended for the nerve damage and pain that come with ATTR amyloidosis. 

ATTR amyloidosis is known to be difficult to diagnose, and patients didn't have many options until recently, so finding patients will be the next challenge for the biotech companies.

5. A medication that could be the first for postpartum depression

Of the nearly 4 million births that happen each year in the US, nearly 15% of those new mothers are affected by an extended postpartum depression.

Treatment options include antidepressants and counseling, but there could soon be another option: the biotech Sage Therapeutics' Zulresso.

If approved, Zulresso would be the first medication approved specifically for postpartum depression. Zulresso is being reviewed by US drug regulators, and a decision is expected by March 19, 2019. 

Read more:A pharma CEO says a new depression drug could have lasting effects after one short course, like antibiotics — here's what experts think

6. A fish oil-based drug with possible heart health benefits

fish oil whole 30

A common claim about fish-oil supplements is that they're good for your heart, but there isn't evidence to back it up. 

So imagine the surprise when Amarin Pharmaceuticals' Vascepa, which is derived from fish oil, showed promise in reducing cardiovascular risk in a large, multiyear clinical trial. 

Further data will be of interest to investors, but there's "potential for M&A either way," Yee said. 

7. An antidote for life-threatening bleeding

Drugs called anticoagulants are used to treat conditions such as strokes and pulmonary embolisms, a type of artery blockage. One particular type, factor Xa inhibitors, has become increasingly popular, but it has a major complication: bleeding.   

Portola Pharmaceuticals' Andexxa, approved in the US in May, is used to reverse anticoagulation in cases when patients have life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding. The product has since been taken to market and brought in nearly $8 million in sales in its first full quarter. 

8. A medication for patients with aggressive breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease, quicker to recur and spread. Immunomedics' IMMU-132 is intended for patients who have already failed to respond to at least two other medications for the disease. A US approval decision is expected by late January, and if the drug is approved, it "will have a lot of focus," according to Yee. 

9. A Parkinson's disease drug launch spurring existential questions for a biotech

Parkinson's disease drugs can do a lot of good for patients, but, as the disease progresses, they don't work optimally all of the time. Acorda Therapeutics' Inbrija got approved by the FDA last week for intermittent treatment of those "off" episodes and is expected to become available by the first quarter of next year. 

The approval decision, which came early, is also bringing new attention to what will become of the company — whether it will work to sell Inbrija, or sell itself instead. Notably, Parkinson's disease drugs are considered "strategically valuable," Stifel analyst Paul Matteis pointed out after the late December approval. 

10. A multiple myeloma drug with an FDA decision expected by April

The biotech Karyopharm Therapeutics could get an FDA approval decision for its multiple-myeloma drug Selinexor by April 6, 2019. 

11. The gene therapy behind a $9 billion acquisition that could threaten another biotech

Novartis CEO Vas NarasimhanWhen Swiss drug-giant Novartis acquired the biotech AveXis for nearly $9 billion, the pharmaceutical company was clear about its intentions.

AveXis' lead product, AVXS-101, could be the "first-ever one-time gene-replacement therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a disease which results in early death or lifelong disability with considerable healthcare costs," Novartis said in April.

The gene therapy, now being called Zolgensma, could also pose a major competitive threat to Biogen's crucial spinal muscular atrophy therapy Spinraza

The FDA has agreed to look at Novartis' Zolgensma application, and a decision is expected in May.

12. An ovarian-cancer drug from a Shanghai-based biotech

The Shanghai-based biopharmaceutical company Zai Lab Limited is carrying out its first launch, for the ovarian-cancer drug Zejula in Hong Kong. Zejula is also up before the China National Medical Products Administration, where a much larger patient population could be in reach.

These could prove a "key read-through for Asia biotech," Yee said, which has attracted US investment interest of late but has also been hit by wider market conditions. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Swearing has more benefits than you may think — from improving your workouts to bonding with your coworkers

What to do if you find out your coworker makes way more than you

$
0
0

confused annoyed woman

  • It's important to discuss salary with your coworkers.
  • But sometimes you might hear information that you wish you hadn't learned — like, for instance, that a coworker in a similar role is making way more than you are.
  • Here's what to do if you find out your coworker makes more than you.

 

So, you asked your coworkers about their salaries— and found out that, even though they're in a similar role to yours, they're making way more than you are. Now what?

First of all, stay calm.

Next, don't run to your boss and demand a raise, said Katie Donovan, a salary negotiation coach.

"If you do find out that others are earning more, do not rush to your manager demanding more 'because so and so earns more,'" Donovan told Business Insider. 

Anna Cosic, career strategist, agrees. "It's important to note that the information you eventually gather is not intended to be used towards HR or your manager saying that since X is making $Y, so should I," Cosic said. "That rarely pays off and they may have several different reasons that someone makes more than you do."

But, you should ask for a raise — calmly

Plan out a meeting with your boss in which you show why you deserve to make more. As we've previously reported, any good salary negotiation presents a case for your promotion based on data.

That data should show that you have excelled in your role. Vicki Salemi, career expert for Monster, told Business Insider you should already know the quantitative ways that your company measures performance. Think sales goals, output, or another barometer. 

A bonus just for you: Click here to claim 30 days of access to Business Insider PRIME

It also might include qualitative information, Salemi said. If you led training or became a trustworthy person during a year with tumultuous office politics, you should include that in your discussion.

That data should also show that the number you're asking for is on par with what folks in your position normally make. Check out salary data websites like Payscale, Glassdoor, Indeed, and Salary to see the median pay for your industry, position, and location.

Don't tell your boss you know how much your peers make

When you talk to your boss, don't say that you know your coworkers make more than you do — and definitely avoid name dropping or number dropping. That could cause negative repercussions for your coworker.

When it comes down to it, your company "may have several different reasons that someone makes more than you do," Cosic said. 

Instead, MarketWatch suggests saying something like: "It was brought to my attention that the market value for my position is X." 

That way, you can protect your coworkers while still (hopefully) securing more money for yourself. 

SEE ALSO: Here's how to ask your coworkers how much they're making, according to experts

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Meet the 24-year-old who's the youngest female broker in the New York Stock Exchange


The CEO of a top travel app who gets up at 5:15 a.m. says he tricked himself into becoming a morning person by changing his daily exercise routine

$
0
0

workout yoga instructor stretching

  • Sam Shank, CEO of booking app HotelTonight, gets up at 5:15 every morning, even though he wasn't always a morning person.
  • He says that starting his morning with a workout class helped him adjust to the new routine.
  • The penalties incurred by missed classes and the expectation of seeing the same people in workout classes were key parts of making the change stick.

Sam Shank wasn't always a morning person. Nowadays, though, the HotelTonight CEO starts every morning bright and early.

"I get up at 5:15 every morning, and if you'd told me five years ago that I'd be getting up that early, I'd be like, 'you're crazy,'" he recently told Business Insider.

As someone who wasn't necessarily hardwired for early mornings, Shank used to exercise after work. However, moving those workouts to the beginning of the day proved "transformational" for his lifestyle: Getting his exercise — which varies from HIIT workouts and boot camp classes to pilates and yoga — done in the morning allows him to be in the office by 7:30 a.m. and fuels him with energy for the whole day. It also frees up time in the evening to spend with his family.

As for the trick that got him to stick to the routine, Shank found the solution in gym classes.

Sam Shank Headshot

"It was committing to an exercise class," he said. "There's a penalty if you don't show up at Equinox or ClassPass ... and there's an expectation where you see the same people all the time."

"That commitment was key for me," he added.

Shank launched the online travel company in January 2011. Users are able to book discounted, last-minute hotel rooms via its app or mobile site, and they can access a wide range of hotels across international destinations.

Read more: The CEO of a top travel app says the best boutique hotels all have the same 2 things in common, no matter what city they're in

His morning routine puts him in good company. Early mornings are a common feature of many successful peoples' routines, from actors like Melissa McCarthy, who gets up at 4:30 a.m. and starts her day with a "carefully curated" routine to CEOs like Tim Cook, who reportedly starts his day at 3:45 a.m.

But a morning workout is just one way in which the CEO is deliberate with his time.

He also noted that he blocks out what he calls "Sam time" on his calendar: two- to three-hour chunks that he purposely leaves unplanned and unscheduled. He uses that time for anything from talking to members of his 260-person team and checking in with mentors to delving into any given detail of his company's work.

"I made it a goal for my assistant to put those in my calendar for five hours a week," Shank explained.

SEE ALSO: I interviewed over 300 highly successful people about their morning routines — here are 5 things they do to have a focused and productive day, every day

READ MORE: What your daily routine should look like, according to science

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Barbara Corcoran on Donald Trump: 'He is the best salesman I've ever met in my life'

Costco is selling a massive tub of Nutella that weighs almost 7 pounds for $22 (COST)

$
0
0

costco nutella

  • Costco is selling a tub of Nutella that weighs in at nearly seven pounds. 
  • The 6.6-pound Nutella bucket can be purchased in stores or online for $21.99. 
  • It is hard to find a better deal on Nutella than this mega-tub of the beloved spread, with customers paying $3.33 per pound.

Costco is selling some super-sized Nutella. 

The bulk retailer has a 6.6-pound tub of Nutella spread for $21.99, a deal spotted by BestProducts.com. 

If you order online— where the bucket of hazelnut spread is available for purchase — you have to pay an extra $3 delivery fee. Costco doesn't require a membership to shop online, but a membership is necessary to access two-day delivery. 

Read more:We compared Costco and Jet prices to see which company offers better deals. Here's the verdict.

It's hard to find a better deal on Nutella than this mega-tub of the beloved goop, with customers paying $3.33 per pound of Nutella. Costco shoppers can also purchase two 33.5-ounce jars of Nutella for $13.99. 

Costco is known for its low prices and sometimes surprising deals. Now, alongside wine, coffins, and engagement rings, you can pick up a massive Nutella bucket. 

SEE ALSO: 7 things you probably didn't know you can buy at Costco

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The true story behind the name 'Black Friday' is much darker than you may have thought

'Riverdale' star Lili Reinhart wore a see-through red dress to the Golden Globes and people are obsessed with her look

$
0
0

Lili Reinhart golden globes 2019 3

  • "Riverdale" star Lili Reinhart attended the 76th Golden Globes in a red tulle dress from Khyeli Couture.
  • She wore matching crimson makeup and accessorized with matching jewels and nude-colored nails.
  • The award show is held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California and is hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg.

"Riverdale" star Lili Reinhart made her Golden Globes debut wearing a red dress, and fans can't get enough of her outfit.

The award show takes place on Sunday at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California and is hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg. Reinhart, who stars as Betty Cooper on the hit CW series, stepped out in a strapless tulle gown by Khyeli Couture, a pink lip shade, and crimson eye makeup.

Here's Reinhart's look, from head-to-toe.

Lili Reinhart Golden globes 2019 1

 The 22-year-old also wore red heels and showed off nude-colored nails.

Lili Reinhart golden globes 2019 2

Reinhart's hair was styled in a sleek fashion, which accentuated her long earrings. 

Lili Reinhart golden globes 2019 4

Reinhart's fans took to Twitter to share their reactions and praise her whole look.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The reason some men can't grow full beards, according to a dermatologist

Ryan Seacrest wore a Time's Up bracelet on the Golden Globes red carpet and Twitter is not having it

$
0
0

seacrest globes

  • Ryan Seacrest wore a Time's Up bracelet at the 76th annual Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Sunday, and Twitter was angry.
  • Seacrest, accused of sexual misconduct last year, was seen wearing a Time's Up bracelet as he conducted pre-show interviews on the red carpet.
  • Seacrest has persistently denied the allegations made against him, describing them as 'reckless.'

Television host and producer Ryan Seacrest wore a Time's Up bracelet while conducting pre-show interviews at the 76th annual Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Sunday.

Seacrest was accused of sexual misconduct by a stylist for E! News in 2017. 

Suzie Hardy worked as Seacrest's stylist for "E! News" from 2006-2014, and in a November 2017 letter to  NBC Universal, her attorneys outlined allegations of harassment and assault, according to Variety.

Seacrest has persistently denied the allegations, describing them as 'reckless.'

People took to Twitter to voice their criticism and outrage of Seacrest's decision to wear the bracelet despite the allegations against him.   

 

During the broadcast, actress Regina King spoke to Seacrest about the Time's Up movement.

 

Many of the acting community's most recognizable stars walked the red carpet wearing brackets and ribbons commemorating Time's Up ribbons in a show of solidarity for the victims of sexual harassment.

 

"Oh wow that’s so funny about how women should be treated fairly in the workplace when Seacrest has been accused of being gross af over a year ago by his makeup artist. , wrote one Twitter user.

While another suggested we're all just ignoring this:

 

READ MORE:Here are all the Golden Globes 2019 winners

In a letter sent in November of 2017, Hardy's lawyers asked E! to "come up with a plan to address the treatment of all women at the networks and to take responsibility for the wrongful treatment" (of Hardy).

A week later, Seacrest took her allegations public, announcing that E! was investigating a claim of "misconduct" against him without using Hardy's name: "someone that worked as a wardrobe stylist for me nearly a decade ago."

"Total exasperation was my definite feeling when I heard about it,"Hardy told Variety.

She was interviewed three times by an independent investigator, she said. "I felt like by the third interview, it was obvious the investigator was whitewashing it for Seacrest's side."

Seacrest has repeatedly denied her allegations.

Seacrest is also the co-host of "Live with Kelly and Ryan" and the radio show "On Air with Ryan Seacrest," and is head of his own clothing and skincare lines.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I'm a diehard iPhone user who switched to Android for a week — here's what I loved and hated about the Google Pixel 3 XL

Timothée Chalamet wore an 'embroidered bib' to the Golden Globes and it was a polarizing look

$
0
0

timothee chalamet

  • Timothée Chalamet took a style risk at the 76th annual Golden Globes, which took place Sunday at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California.
  • He wore custom Louis Vuitton by Virgil Abloh — an all-black outfit complete with, what looks like, a sparkly harness.
  • Louis Vuitton has clarified that Chalamet is wearing an "embroidered bib," per New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman.
  • Some people praised Chalamet for the daring outfit, while others were simply confused.

Timothée Chalamet took a style risk at the 76th annual Golden Globes, which took place Sunday at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California.

Chalamet, who was nominated for best supporting actor in "Beautiful Boy," wore custom Louis Vuitton by Virgil Abloh — an all-black outfit complete with, what looks like, a sparkly harness.

timothee chalamet

Louis Vuitton has clarified that Chalamet is wearing an "embroidered bib," per New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman.

Some people fawned over Chalamet's daring look.

Others, however, loathed the eye-catching accessory.

The Golden Globes is airing at 8 p.m. EST tonight on NBC.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The true story behind the name 'Black Friday' is much darker than you may have thought

Viewing all 70894 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images