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Celine Dion has finally found a buyer for her lavish Florida mansion that has gotten $34 million in price chops since 2013

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Celine Dion

Celine Dion can finally relax.

Her extravagant Jupiter Island property, which has been on the market since 2013, has found a buyer. It is under contract and is expected to close this year, the agent handling the sale told Mansion Global.

The price for the lavish house stood at $38.5 million at the time of the sale, though the ultimate price has not been disclosed.

That price was arrived at after a series of price chops over the last four years. It originally asked $72.5 million in 2013.

The singer had previously lowered the price to $45.5 million after her husband, René Angélil, died last year. Dion and her late husband bought the lot the house sits on for $12.5 million in 2005, then the adjacent mansion for $7 million in 2008. They then razed the existing home to build the current spread.

Dion sold the property because she now spends most of her time in Las Vegas, where she lives with her family. Her residency at Caesars Palace will continue until 2019, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Cristina Condon of Sotheby's International Realty had the listing.

Megan Willett contributed reporting to a previous version of this article.

SEE ALSO: This VC's mansion just got a $20 million price chop, but it's still one of the most expensive homes in Silicon Valley

Welcome to Celine Dion's 5.5-acre compound on Jupiter Island in Florida.



The property is currently under contract for $38.5 million and is expected to sell this year.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



Dion and her late husband custom-designed the property themselves after buying two lots and razing one of the existing homes.



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Netflix and Marvel just dropped the first 'The Defenders' trailer — and it looks amazing

Stephen Colbert praises Jimmy Kimmel's 'beautiful, heartfelt' comments about health care

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In a rare showing of unity between late-night competitors, "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert urged his viewers to watch Jimmy Kimmel's monologue on ABC about his newborn son's emergency heart surgery.

“Last night was one of the rare times I did not just watch our show. I also watched our dear friend Jimmy Kimmel," Colbert said on his CBS show Tuesday.

Kimmel opened Monday's "Live!" with an emotional story about his newborn son, Billy, who had emergency heart surgery just three hours after his birth over the weekend. Kimmel also segued the story into a call for affordable health care in the US and an endorsement of funding for healthcare programs and research. He also criticized Republican efforts to dismantle coverage of preexisting conditions (his son's heart defect would be considered a preexisting condition), which is insured under Obamacare.

Kimmel teared up as he told his story about his son.

"I just want to say to anybody out there, that if you haven’t seen Jimmy’s monologue last night — about his child, who was born with a heart defect and they had to have surgery and the first surgery was successful and thankfully his son Billy is home with him and his wife — please go watch it," Colbert told his viewers.

"It’s an absolutely beautiful, heartfelt story," Colbert continued. "And it’s a call for all people to have access to the same quality health care, because it is a basic human need, and an aspect of our dignity as citizens of the United States."

Watch Colbert's appreciation of Kimmel's monologue below:

SEE ALSO: People have started a 'fire Colbert' movement because of his 'homophobic' Trump insult

DON'T MISS: Stephen Colbert makes Trump look foolish in an 'interview' with the president

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'Check my pulse' — Hillary Clinton addresses rumors about her health on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

Hillary Clinton uses 'The Handmaid's Tale' to point out what's happening to women's rights

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Hillary Clinton referenced the bleak future portrayed on Hulu's new drama series, "The Handmaid's Tale," to illustrate the threat to women's rights today in our real world.

The former presidential candidate and Secretary of State made the comments during Planned Parenthood's 100th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"What a time it is to be holding this centennial. Just ask those who’ve been watching 'The Handmaid’s Tale,' a book I read and was captivated by years ago," Clinton said in her address.

Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" is based on the popular 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood. Set in the near future, it finds the US taken over by an authoritarian leader and conservative values influencing the law of the land. At the same time, a widespread inability to bear children has caused those who are fertile to become forced concubines who provide offspring to powerful men and their sterile wives.

"I am not suggesting this dystopian future is around the corner, but this show has prompted important conversations about women’s rights and autonomy," Clinton continued. "In 'The Handmaid’s Tale,' women’s rights are gradually, slowly stripped away. As one character says, ‘We didn’t look up from our phones until it was too late.’ It is not too late for us, but we have to encourage the millions of women and men who support Planned Parenthood’s mission to keep fighting."

Clinton's comments coincide with the ongoing efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare with a Republican plan that includes stricter rules for coverage of abortions and a move to partially defund Planned Parenthood.

SEE ALSO: Seth Meyers: Hillary Clinton is ready for 'Game of Thrones'-style revenge

DON'T MISS: How Hulu's '11.22.63' recreated the most famous and controversial photo of Lee Harvey Oswald

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NOW WATCH: Clinton calls the GOP health care bill failure a 'victory for all Americans'

All the theories about who really killed JonBenét Ramsey

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The new Netflix documentary "Casting JonBenét" just came out, and it's likely to glue viewers to their screens as they try to solve this very mysterious murder by themselves. 

To save you from that internet digging, we put together a list of some of the most popular (and most out-there) theories about her death, and the many questions that still loom over it.

In case you weren't alive in 1996 or able to read headlines, six-year-old pageant contestant JonBenét Ramsey was found dead in her home in Boulder, Colorado, by her parents Patsy and John Ramsey the morning after Christmas Day. She had been strangled and had suffered a blow to the back of her head. A homemade garrote was tied around her neck. 

Here are the most popular and the craziest JonBenét theories out there:

SEE ALSO: 33 documentaries on Netflix right now that will make you smarter

Patsy Ramsey — the mother

A popular theory is that JonBenét 's parents are responsible for her death.

Patsy Ramsey said that she first knew JonBenét was missing when she found a two-and-a-half-page, handwritten ransom note at the bottom of the staircase. The note is filled with quotes from movies including "Dirty Harry" (1971), "Ransom" (1996), and "Speed" (1994).

Analysis of the note says that it was probably written by a woman, which many believe to be Patsy. Patsy was believed to be a strict mother, and some claim she physically punished JonBenét for peeing the bed and accidentally killed her, so she staged a kidnapping in order to cover it up. 

Patsy Ramsey passed away in 2006 from ovarian cancer.



John Bennett Ramsey — the father

The theories that JonBenét 's parents committed the murder often stem from their strange behavior after the fact, and the lack of footsteps of any kind in the snow surrounding their home.

John Bennett Ramsey found his daughter's dead body in the basement wine cellar, and carried her upstairs. He removed the tape from her mouth, and covered her in a blanket, which could have destroyed important evidence. 

In 2008, Patsy and John Ramsey were officially cleared of any involvement in the murder due to DNA evidence.

Source: Rolling Stone



Burke Ramsey — the brother

Burke Ramsey is JonBenét's older brother. He was nine years old when she was murdered in 1996. Some theorists believe that he killed JonBenét when he angrily threw a flashlight at her head. There was a blow to JonBenét's head and a flashlight in the kitchen, where the two kids had allegedly eaten pineapple before bed. It was discovered that JonBenét had eaten pineapple shortly before being killed. 

This popular theory also posits that the parents are to blame for covering it all up as a kidnapping. On the CBS special "The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey" that aired in fall of 2016, professional investigators looked into the case and interviewed friends of the Ramseys and concluded that Burke likely did it. In December 2016, Burke filed a lawsuit against CBS for a massive $750 million, alleging defamation.



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Forget 'Call of Duty' — this insane new game is going to blow your mind

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In 2000, a bizarre and controversial film called "Battle Royale" was released. In the film, dozens of Japanese high-school students are placed on an island, given weapons, and forced to kill one another until one person remains.

That person is crowned the winner.

Battle Royale

If that sounds a lot like the plot of "The Hunger Games," it's because it's not far off. Though the plots are similar, "Battle Royale" is a far more brutal film. There is no prevailing heroine, no odds overcome. "Battle Royale" is a bleak, suspenseful, violent movie.

A new game with a bizarre name, "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" aims to re-create the tension and brutality of "Battle Royale." And unbelievably, it succeeds.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

"PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" is available only on PC. It has only one game mode. It's not even fully complete — the game is available in "early access," which means it isn't finished, but you can buy it early and start playing now.

After just five weeks of availability, it has sold over 2 million copies. It's the third-most-watched game on Twitch, the world's largest game-streaming platform.

So what gives? Why is this game blowing up? Here's the deal.

SEE ALSO: The new game from the folks behind 'Grand Theft Auto' is ridiculously gorgeous

DON'T MISS: Here's your first look at the newest 'Call of Duty' game, set during World War II

Though it looks like a typical shooter, "Battlegrounds" is anything but.

Before we go any further, allow me to explain the ridiculous name:

• The game's creative director is known for creating "Battle Royale"-style games — massive online games where players fight to the death with limited weapons.

• His name is Brendan Greene, but his online handle is "PlayerUnknown."

• Thus the game is just called "Battlegrounds." The full name technically is "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds," but that's kind of like calling "Jurassic Park" "Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park."



Every game starts the same: You're on a plane with about 100 other humans. It's the most depressing plane ride I've ever seen.

The plane is a visual representation of an online lobby, essentially, but it serves another purpose — you choose when to exit the plane, and that choice is important because the next step is parachuting down to a massive, deserted island. 

As you parachute down, you'll see other players doing the same. This is where the game starts — floating down to your almost certain death, eyeballing other players. Since every player starts with just the clothes on their back, the first 10 minutes of every match is a scramble for weapons, armor, vehicles, and security.



Any given part of the massive map looks like this. There are roads and abandoned buildings, and the vacated island is rife with weaponry.

As you land on the island, your first move is almost certainly to go indoors. You could bumrush other players who land near you in an attempt to punch them to death, but you probably shouldn't.

Instead, you likely will look for supplies — and those are indoors. This concept of looting for resources is a panic-inducing moment right off the bat.

Let's say another player lands near you in a town. Here's how that might play out:

• You both land around the same time, see each other, and head toward separate buildings.

• Maybe your building has a good weapon, or maybe it has a police vest for protection. Maybe it has nothing.

• But what about that other player? You've lost them, and they could have a killer weapon. Do you head out to another nearby building, hoping they aren't in the same one? Do you wait near a window, keeping an eye on the building they're in, waiting for them to leave? Do you take off running toward another nearby town, hoping for better supplies?

This is the central tension of "Battlegrounds," and it starts immediately.



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A robot-made pizza startup had the perfect cameo on the latest episode of 'Silicon Valley'

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Part of the brilliance of HBO's sitcom "Silicon Valley" is that leans on real-life people and events to show the silliness inherent in the tech industry. Some of its gags are so nuanced, they're easy to miss.

On the second episode of season four, the gang sits around the table eating pizza and tossing a ball. Eventually, Erlich, a character who owns the startup incubator where they live, moves the party outside and takes the pizza boxes with him.

Blink and you might have missed it, but the boxes were round and made of something other than cardboard. It's the only tell-tale sign that this was no ordinary pizza. In fact, the pizza — made by pizza delivery startup Zume Pizza— was created by robots. The characters never mentioned the pizza, nor were they shown actually eating it.

Zume Pizza is located in Mountain View, California — the heart of Silicon Valley. Founded in 2015, the company aims to make better pizza more quickly by using robotics in the kitchen.

zume pizza robot 0218

Robots use artificial intelligence to accept orders and make highly customizable pizzas. The kitchen can turn out 288 pizzas an hour.

In an email to Business Insider, the team at Zume Pizza revealed what it was like making a cameo on the show set.

"I've loved Silicon Valley right from the offset — long before I ever moved to the area," Zume Pizza's executive chef Aaron Butkus said. "So when we were asked to have our pies as part of the show, I was thrilled."

silicon valley zume pizza

Producers at "Silicon Valley" reached out to the startup last October about using the pizza as a prop in the new season. The company sent 10 empty pizza boxes to the producers so they could check out the design.

In addition to looking unusual, the boxes are made from sustainably farmed sugarcane fiber, which is recyclable and compostable. The bottom of the container has sloped ridges and a recess in the center that force liquids to pool where they won't touch pizza and make it soggy in transit (though you can't make those details out on the show).

Within a few weeks, Butkus and his brother drove from the Bay Area to a studio in Culver City, California, for the shoot.

silicon valley zume pizza

"The main challenge [was] that there would be no oven on site, and we wanted to ensure the pizza looked as if it was really delivered by Zume, not some substitute version," a spokesperson for Zume Pizza says.

Butkus brought 14 partially baked pizzas to the set, along with a portable oven to reheat and style the pizzas properly. When the brothers were told they were shooting the scene around the table, they finished cooking the pizzas and handed them off to the props crew.

They made nine "Veggie Jackson" and five "Cheezy E" pies, that "turned out perfectly," according to the spokesperson.

"While we weren't able to go on set (to keep plot developments confidential), we saw the cast from a distance coming and going from their trailers and studio," Butkus says.

After the episode was taped, Thomas Middleditch, who plays Richard on the show, met with Zume Pizza cofounder Alex Garden at the company's office.

Zume Pizza currently delivers robot-made pizza in Mountain View, and is gearing up for an expansion across the South Bay.

SEE ALSO: 14 ways HBO's 'Silicon Valley' nailed the real tech industry

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is the worst part of Silicon Valley, according to the cast of ‘Silicon Valley’

'I have jokes; he has the launch codes': Colbert responds to uproar over his anti-Trump monologue

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Stephen Colbert answered critics who took issue with an anti-Trump monologue he gave earlier this week.

The late-night host defended his right to make jokes about President Donald Trump, which caught much attention on Monday night.

The criticism that followed was twofold. Some took issue with Colbert's use of the homophobic pejorative, "c--k holster," which the comedian used to describe Trump's affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Others touted the #FireColbert hashtag — an effort to boycott Colbert's "The Late Show," which airs on CBS.

According to an advance copy of Colbert's Wednesday night script obtained by BuzzFeed News, Colbert stands by the tone of his monologue, but admits he could have chosen better words.

Read a portion of the script below:

"Welcome to 'The Late Show'. I’m your host, Stephen Colbert.

Still? I am still the host?

I’m still the host!!

Now, if you saw my monologue Monday, you know that I was a little upset at Donald Trump for insulting a friend of mine. So at the end of that monologue I had a few choice insults for the president in return. I don't regret that. He, I believe, can take care of himself. I have jokes; he has the launch codes. So it's a fair fight.

"So while I would do it again, I would change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be. I'm not going to repeat the phrase, but I just want to say for the record, life is short, and anyone who expresses their love for another person, in their own way, is to me, an American hero. I think we can all agree on that. I hope even the president and I can agree on that. Nothing else. But, that."

Watch the full original monologue from Monday below:

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert makes Trump look foolish in an 'interview' with the president

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This animated map shows how religion spread across the world


EA and Twitch revealed the secrets of e-sports at IGNITION 2016

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The world of e-sports is massive and still growing, and advertisers are wondering how they can profit from this phenomenon.

Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch, and Peter More, chief competition officer of EA, sat down with Business Insider's Steve Kovach at IGNITION 2016 to discuss the role advertisers play in e-sports.

In addition to revenue sources like subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, event-based ticketing, merchandise, food and beverage, and in-game items, Lin said advertising is the main way e-sports are monetized.

So why do advertisers want to get involved? For one thing, the viewership numbers are huge. “Some of them hit tens of millions,” Lin said. “In concurrents, you’ll see millions.” Additionally, users spend two hours a day, on average, watching content. During competitions, the number grows to 8 to 10 hours.

Another reason e-sports are intriguing to advertisers is the demographic they reach. According to Lin, 90% of the Twitch audience subscribes to Netflix or Hulu rather than traditional cable. “Broadcasters are wondering how to reach this demographic,” Moore said, so they want to be a part of e-sports.

With millions of young people not seeing traditional advertisements, companies are recognizing the need to engage with younger audiences in other ways. But there is a challenge in this form of advertising. Because this audience is not used to traditional advertising, they are quick to recognize when something is not authentic.

Moore mentioned that brands have to be careful when entering this space, and must be able to show they are truly interested in growing the field of e-sports rather than just selling a product.

“A lot of brands that are very interested in the space are building entire divisions that are hired from the community,” Lin said. “They can help craft a message and marketing plan that really resonates.”

When done correctly, massive success can be had. For example, Nissan launched a holiday campaign on Twitch. The Twitter impressions and chat messages involving the word “Nissan” were in the millions. Nissan did not expect this result, but because the campaign was authentic it succeeded.

Companies have huge potential to reach a new audience by dipping into e-sports, and we will likely be seeing even more of this in the future.

To learn more about the future of digital, be sure to attend Business Insider's IGNITION 2017!

We’re rolling out the speaker lineup over the coming months, and you won’t want to miss it. Business Insider IGNITION 2017 will take place November 29-30 at the Time Warner Center in New York City. Right now we're offering Extra-Early-Bird tickets that will save you $1,000 — don't miss out!

To hear more about the world of e-sports, check out the full interview below (the segment starts at 2:12).

Join the conversation about this story »

RANKED: Hulu's original shows, from best to worst

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Last month, Hulu scored its first certified breakout hit with "The Handmaid's Tale," the adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, starring Elisabeth Moss.

But that's not the only hit Hulu has had recently. "Harlots," Hulu's edgy historical drama about an 18th century brothel owner, is sitting at a 97% on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Though Hulu has been making original shows for a few years, these are its two top-rated shows by critics — and they came out less than a month apart.

Hulu, whose main value has been "next-day" episodes of blockbuster TV shows, is having a moment right now with its originals. On Wednesday, the company finally launched its $40-a-month competitor to cable TV. So it's a good time to take stock of Hulu's catalog of original material, and see which ones you might have missed.

To give you a full picture of how Hulu shows stack up against each other, we turned to Rotten Tomatoes, which pulls in critic (and audience) reviews from all over the world. We excluded Hulu originals that had less than four critic reviews.

Here are Hulu's 12 original shows, ordered from worst to best:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Amazon's 20 original shows from best to worst

No. 12: "Shut Eye" — 38/100

Critics score: 38

Audience score: 81

Hulu description: "Shut Eye takes a darkly comedic look at the world of Los Angeles storefront psychics and the organized crime syndicate that runs them. Former magician Charlie Haverford (Jeffrey Donovan) oversees a number of fortune telling parlors on behalf of his violent and domineering Romani kingpin boss, until a blow to the head jars him into a new mindset, making him question everything he has ever believed."

Status: Current



No. 11: "Dimension 404" — 67/100

Critics score: 67

Audience score: 54

Hulu description: "In the darkest depths of cyberspace, there is another world. A lost dimension, home to wonders unseen, terrors unspeakable, and stories unlike any ever told. Dimension 404 is a science fiction anthology that explores the wonders - and terrors - of our digital age. From outrageous horror comedy to mind-bending action adventure, each episode tells a weird and wild sci-fi tale where the twist ending... is just the beginning. Do not click back. Do not reload. You have reconnected... to Dimension 404."

Status: Current



No. 10: "Hotwives of Orlando" — 78/100

Critics score: 78

Audience score: 100

Hulu description: "A parody of one of the most popular franchises in reality television, “The Hotwives of Orlando,” takes you inside the uber-exclusive and glamorous world of six hot housewives livin’ large in Central Florida's sexiest city, Orlando. The show follows a cast of ladies as they fight over pretty much everything except for their love of shoes, plastic surgery, and the pursuit of spending all of their husbands’ money."

Status: Ended



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Stephen Colbert fires back at #FireColbert campaign over his Trump insult: 'I would do it again'

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Stephen Colbert addressed the controversial comments that led to a campaign calling for his firing from CBS's "Late Show." While he said he would have changed some wording, he said he wouldn't back down from what he said.

The host wasted no time in touching on the social-media campaign using the hashtag "#FireColbert."

"Welcome to 'The Late Show.' I’m your host, Stephen Colbert. Still? I am still the host? I’m still the host!" he began Wednesday's episode.

The uproar was the result of comments he made during Monday's passionate "Late Show" monologue, which went viral online. In it, he stood up for CBS reporter and friend John Dickerson, whose interview with Trump was cut short by the president after he was repeatedly questioned about his allegations that President Barack Obama had ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower during the campaign.

Among the insults Colbert directed at Trump, he said, "The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c--k holster," which raised the eyebrows of many viewers.

"Now, if you saw my monologue Monday, you know that I was a little upset at Donald Trump for insulting a friend of mine," Colbert said on Wednesday night. "So at the end of that monologue I had a few choice insults for the president in return. I don’t regret that. He, I believe, can take care of himself. I have jokes; he has the launch codes. So it’s a fair fight."

What may have started as outrage from LGBTQ rights supporters in response to the "c--k holster" comment that they considered homophobic was then adopted by Trump supporters who jumped on the #FireColbert campaign in response to the entire monologue and the host's ongoing sharp criticism of the president.

Colbert has faced a campaign for his termination before, during his Comedy Central days, over a joke some viewed as racist. And in light of the new Trump joke, he did want to make sure his viewers knew exactly where he stood on LGBTQ rights.

"So while I would do it again, I would change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be," Colbert said. "I’m not going to repeat the phrase, but I just want to say for the record, life is short, and anyone who expresses their love for another person, in their own way, is to me, an American hero. I think we can all agree on that. I hope even the president and I can agree on that. Nothing else, but that."

Watch Colbert address the controversial comments below:

SEE ALSO: People have started a 'fire Colbert' movement because of his 'homophobic' Trump insult

DON'T MISS: Stephen Colbert praises Jimmy Kimmel's 'beautiful, heartfelt' comments about health care

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Comey reveals why he announced a new Clinton investigation 11 days before the election

Seth Meyers: Why the new Trumpcare is 'disastrous' for affordable health care

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"Late Night" host Seth Meyers dedicated his "A Closer Look" segment on Wednesday night to the new Republican healthcare bill making its way toward a vote in the United States House of Representatives. He called the latest bill, supported by President Donald Trump and commonly referred to as "Trumpcare," "disastrous.”"

Republicans have been trying to repeal and replace Obamacare for seven years now, and a previous Trump-backed bill on health care failed before a vote in the House.

"The whole thing is like the suitcase of a kid who says he’s running away from home: It looks like he has a plan, but if you open that suitcase up, all you’re going to find are some loose Legos and a sleeve of Ritz crackers," Meyers said.

Meyers also criticized the Republicans for allowing people with preexisting conditions to pay more for their health insurance.

"This new bill would allow states to waive out of Obamacare’s ban on preexisting conditions," he said.

"Part of the problem for Republicans is that they’re trying to hide a core truth about their bill — as well as a core truth about Republican ideology — which is that they simply don’t think it’s the government’s job to ensure that people get affordable health care," Meyers continued. "Normally they don’t admit that openly, but on Monday, Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks, a hardline conservative, admitted in a moment of honesty that he has no problem with people with preexisting conditions paying more for their health insurance."

Meyers then showed a clip of Brooks saying that "people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now, those are the people who have done things the right way that are seeing their costs skyrocketing."

"People who 'lead good lives'? So what does that mean?" Meyers asked. "People who are sick lead 'bad' lives? If that were really how it worked, Donald Trump would have died three years before he was born."

SEE ALSO: People have started a 'fire Colbert' movement because of his 'homophobic' Trump insult

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A 'Top Chef' alum explains why you should use canned tomatoes in your sauce

Here's what Snapchat's big push for TV-like 'shows' will look like

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A big piece of Snap's pitch to IPO investors in March was that Snapchat would be the place where TV advertising dollars would land, as they shifted to the digital realm.

Snap hasn't been the first to make this pitch — see Facebook, YouTube, and so on — nor will it be the last. But the truth of the pitch might rest in how well Snapchat's new push into TV-like shows goes. The company has worked with tons of TV networks and other media companies over the last few months, with the goal of getting a regular rotation of Snapchat shows moving through the app.

A new report from The Wall Street Journal's Shalini Ramachandran sheds some light on what form those shows will take. Here are some of the details:

  • Snap wants about 2-3 shows to go up on the app each day, by the end of 2017, Snap confirmed to Business Insider. These will live in the "Stories" section of Snapchat, under the "Shows" header, which already exists now.
  • As to length, these shows will be about 3-5 minutes long. That's important because Snap isn't paying money up front for them, but instead relying solely on an ad revenue split, Snap confirmed. The Journal reported that Snap is giving a 50-50 ad revenue split, which is lower than some partners are getting in its Discover section (Snap declined to comment on that figure). But whatever the split, funding a 3-5 minute show, on the promise of future ad revenue, is a lot more palatable for a media company than sinking hundreds of thousands into longer content. In contrast, Facebook is in the midst of buying shows, with cash up front, to seed its own premium video initiative.
  • Snap has been very involved in the development of the shows, according to the Journal, which reported that Snap gave out "extensive and detailed notes" to TV partners. A Snap spokesperson told Business Insider that these kinds of notes were focused on how to make content work on the Snapchat platform, from more of a form-factor perspective than a creative one. Snap will also share "detailed data" with media companies, which differs from the likes of Netflix, a company that famously tells its creators next to nothing about how their shows are performing. Again, this is likely another reason why media companies are willing to pony up the initial costs.
  • So what will these shows be about? Snapchat is looking for all kinds of shows, from reality to scripted, from news to horror. Snap has shows in the works from NBC, ESPN, the NFL, Turner, ABC, BBC, A&E, Discovery, Vice, and others, the company told Business Insider.

If you want to read more about Snapchat's push into TV-like shows, head over the the Journal for commentary from both Snap and media execs. And if you're curious what making a show for Snapchat is like, check out our interview with Jennie Sutton, who made a show for Comedy Central's Snapchat Discover channel in 2016.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Hulu's original shows, from best to worst

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: NASA released its first incredible video of our closest look at Saturn yet

A new documentary gives us an up-close, creepy look at WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

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Risk trailer Neon final

Coming off her Oscar-winning film "Citizenfour," about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, director Laura Poitras returns with "Risk," a profile of another controversial figure in the hacker community: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Filming over six years, Poitras got access to Assange that she even admits in the documentary was beyond what she expected. The WikiLeaks head navigates his budding popularity while also fighting off allegations of sexual assault and rape. Those claims are why he has remained inside the Embassy of Ecuador in London since the summer of 2012, when the country granted him asylum.

The most unfiltered look at Julian Assange

Poitras is a fly on the wall during some of the most important moments of WikiLeaks' existence: the series of leaks provided by Chelsea Manning, assisting Snowden to leave Hong Kong after news broke of his leaks, and most recently, the leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 US presidential election (though there are accusations that Russia worked with WikiLeaks on the leaked election emails, Assange denies the charge).

 

But then there's the glance at simply the man behind the site. Poitras portrays Assange as someone filled with contradictions, who is constantly paranoid and extremely vindictive. Poitras is under the impression through most of the movie that Assange doesn't like her, though he continues to give her an incredible window into his daily life.

risk2Poitras is even there beside Assange in the hotel room preparing for his secretive dash to the Embassy of Ecuador, which included him coloring his hair and sporting a goatee so he wouldn't be recognized as he sped on a motorcycle through London.

Poitras also offers glimpses into how her life has been affected by being in Assange's inner circle. She speaks of being detained in airports, and there's leaked FBI audio of agents talking about her, saying the American filmmaker is "anti-US."

Then there's Poitras' involvement with Snowden. When Assange sees that Poitras was behind the footage of Snowden revealing his reasons for leaking, the WikiLeaks figurehead becomes enraged that Poitras didn't bring the Snowden info to him (it was released by The Guardian). It's just another example of Assange's creepy Jekyll-and-Hyde persona.

This isn't the first movie about Assange. There was also the forgettable 2013 fictionalized movie "The Fifth Estate" with Benedict Cumberbatch playing Assange. That same year, we got Alex Gibney's "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks," which delves more into the Chelsea Manning chapter of the group.

But "Risk" gives us the most unfiltered look at Assange we've seen. In the end, it shows us a complex man you'll have more questions about than answers after seeing the movie.

"Risk" opens in theaters Friday and airs on Showtime later this year.

 

SEE ALSO: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" lives up to what made the original movie so fun

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The crazy new game that pits 100 people against each other on a deserted island will come to consoles

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A bizarre and brilliant new video game is exploding in popularity right now. The game isn't even fully complete — it's available in "early access" on Steam, for $30 — but it's already grossed over $60 million.

It's called "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds," and, on the surface, it looks like a run-of-the-mill shooter.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

The player you see above is just one out of 100 people who are stuck on a deserted island that's rife with weapons. The objective: Be the last person alive when the match ends. You have one life, limited ammo, and can withstand a few bullets at most.

It's an intense, smart, suspenseful game that, frankly, we can't stop playing. There's just one problem at the moment: It's only available on PC. 

playerunknown's battlegrounds parachuting

But there's good news on the horizon, as the game will head to home game consoles, Business Insider has learned.

"We have a team working already on looking to port it to at least the Xbox [One]," the game's creative director, Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene told us in a recent interview. "We're looking at both consoles of course, but we have no time frame for both." 

Since the game is still in "early access" — playable and purchasable, but not complete — it's going to be awhile before "Battlegrounds" makes its way from PC to consoles. But rest assured: It's coming. 

"We have no time frame yet exactly on Xbox [One] or PlayStation [4], but we are looking at it," Greene told us.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

We do, however, have some idea of how far away it might be. Since Greene and his team at Bluehole Studios in Korea are planning to have the PC version completed in the next five months ("or so," says Greene), an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 port (or both!) could be ready by the end of 2017. 

"Ports to consoles isn't that hard," Greene said. It's a measure of the game engine that "Battlegrounds" was built with, which is called Unreal Engine 4. It's the software that Greene and his team used to build "Battlegrounds," and it's particularly useful for making a game that will function on several different platforms (PC, consoles, mobile, etc.). "It's a great engine to use for multiplatform," he said.

Maybe most importantly of all, it sounds like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 ports of "Battlegrounds" are already in the works. "We have a great producer and he can manage a lot of stuff," Greene said. "We have the resources to focus on getting the PC version done, but also look at how quickly we can bring it to other platforms."

playerunknown's battlegrounds

That's not all that Greene and co. are working on. "We have other game modes we want to add, and there's modding as well down the road," he noted. Lots to look forward to, it sounds like!

SEE ALSO: Forget 'Call of Duty' — this insane new game is going to blow your mind

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Scientists say the Ewoks in 'Star Wars' should have suffered a gruesome fate when the Death Star exploded

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There is something gravely wrong with the ultimate fate of the Death Star, a moon-size weapon in the "Star Wars" movies, and physicists think you should know about it.

millennium falcon escape explosionThe Death Star meets its final doom in "Return of the Jedi," the epic conclusion to the original "Star Wars" saga.

The colossal ship is orbiting the forested Sanctuary moon of the planet Endor and, after it's blown up, the Rebel Alliance and its hairy Ewok friends party in the trees. Everyone and everything is hunky-dory.

But ask a physicist — or a dozen, as we've done — what happens when you detonate a giant metal sphere above a lush green world. The answer is downright chilling.

"The Ewoks are dead. All of them," said one researcher and self-professed "Star Wars" fan, who wrote a white paper in 2015 that supported his conclusion.

Each scientist who responded to our emails quibbled over the exact details, yet a strong consensus emerged in support of a popular fan theory: The "Endor Holocaust" is inevitable, and that would be a threat to the plausibility of any future movies (galactic bankruptcy be damned).

Here's why.

SEE ALSO: 8 terrifying ways the world could actually end

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The "Endor Holocaust" fan theory dates back to 1997, when it first appeared on a website called TheForce.net. Curtis Saxton, an astrophysicist and "Star Wars" super-fan, wrote it as part of a technical series that analyzes the movies frame-by-frame with scientific rigor.

Source: TheForce.net



Saxon's 10,000-word essay about the Endor holocaust claims that the doom of Endor and the cuddly, warmongering Ewoks who live there "is an inevitable consequence of observable facts."



The rebels' attack on the Death Star turns it into fine metallic bits, Saxton argues. The debris then rains down on Endor, burns up into a toxic sooty fallout, and sparks global firestorms.

But many of Saxton's various measurements are open to interpretation, since depictions of the Death Star, Endor, and other details are inconsistent from one scene to the next.

Source: TheForce.net



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's everything we know about what will happen in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

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The Last Jedi

If you're a true "Star Wars" fan, you've been counting down the days until "The Last Jedi" comes out since way before the film even had an official title and was just "Episode VIII," and Star Wars Day (May 4) is just another excuse to feel the anticipation and speculate.

We knew some things about the "Force Awakens" follow-up based on quotes from the actors and director Rian Johnson ("Looper"), but we couldn't really start theorizing too much until we knew the title and got a look at footage earlier this year. 

When we got the trailer in April, it brought up so many questions. And since we have too little patience to wait until December to figure it all out, below is everything we know so far about the movie (which comes out December 15, 2017), from the mouths of its stars and director, plus the first trailer. 

Here's everything you need to know about "Star Wars: The Last Jedi":

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: Meet Alden Ehrenreich — the 27-year-old actor who will play Han Solo in the next 'Star Wars' spin-off

Not familiar with Rian Johnson? He wrote and directed the hit original sci-fi movie "Looper."

Though he's only made three feature films going into "The Last Jedi," those include stunning works like the modern-day film noir "Brick" and sci-fi mobster movie "Looper," which have shown he's likely ready for the largest stage in filmmaking.

Johnson also directed some of the most memorable "Breaking Bad" episodes, including "Fly" and "Ozymandias" (arguably the greatest episode of the series).

Looking to take a deeper dive? Here's more about Johnson you need to know.



Johnson spent six weeks at the Lucasfilm headquarters, Skywalker Ranch, figuring out the "Episode VIII" story.

At Star Wars Celebration 2016, Johnson revealed that while writing the script for "Last Jedi," he spent six weeks at Skywalker Ranch. But he wasn't just taking inspiration from the grounds that "Star Wars" creator George Lucas walks. He also had an eye on "The Force Awakens."

"We would watch dailies come in from 'VII,'" Johnson told the Celebration crowd. "It was probably really healthy creating the story based on our reactions to the footage rather than the cultural reactions. It was a unique experience."



The movie will start right where "The Force Awakens" ended.

Before principal photography began in London, Johnson and his crew took actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Daisy Ridley (Rey) to Skellig Michael, the island where the final scene of "The Force Awakens" was shot, to film an extension of the scene. 

That will be the opening of the film, according to Johnson.

"I don't want to skip ahead [after] that last moment of 'Episode VII.' I want to see what happens next," Johnson said.

This has sparked an interesting conversation among fans. Will there be an opening crawl in "The Last Jedi"? There are typically months to years between "Star Wars" episodes, so the crawl brings the audience up to speed. Johnson did not say whether there will be a crawl in the new movie. 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 tips on how to survive in 'PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds' from the game's creator

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playerunknown's battlegrounds

There's a new game in town called "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds," and it's enormous fun.

In the game, you're pitted against 100 other players in a Battle Royale setting where you have to use your wits and skills to survive and eliminate other players, and the ultimate goal is to become the last surviving player.

The concept is simple, but achieving the top spot as "winner winner, chicken dinner" – the coveted message you receive upon winning – is anything but. This is not a run-and-gun kind of game.

We interviewed PlayerUnknown himself, who's real name is Brendan Greene and is the creative director behind "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds," and he gave us some valuable tips on how to survive and get your chicken dinner.

Check it out:

SEE ALSO: Forget 'Call of Duty' — this insane new game is going to blow your mind

Avoid other players at the start of the game.

Creative director Brendan Greene – a.k.a Player Unknown himself – suggests you "get away from other people as much as you can" at the start of the game to avoid getting picked off early on. Avoiding others also gives you more time to get the essential gear in the game.

I was tempted at first to parachute into an area with lots of buildings at the beginning of a round because almost all the loot in the game is found inside buildings. After all, more buildings means a higher chance of running into the tastiest gear, like high-powered rifles, scopes, backpacks, and armor.  

The things is, other players also likely know that the best gear will be found in building-dense areas. So, more often than not, parachuting into a part of the map with relatively few buildings is going to be your best bet, as fewer players will settle for the lower chance of getting good gear in low density areas. You might not run into the best weapons or accessories, but at least you're alive, and you can pick up better gear as you move to a different cluster of buildings. 



Apart from weapons, this is the essential gear you need to look for

Greene says you need to look for armor, helmets, and a backpack early on in the game to make your character "more powerful."



Pick your battles.

"Pick your battles," Greene suggests, "the goal is surviving," not getting "all the kills."

If you see players off in the distance, don't start shooting them unless you're very comfortable with your aiming skills. If you miss, not only did you just alert the other player to your position, but you've also invited every other player in the vicinity to your position, too.

Chasing them to get a better shot isn't a good idea, either, "let them run by, you don't have to kill them right away." Giving chase redirects your focus and control over your stealth and safety to finding the player you saw, which could put you at a disadvantage. For example, it could lead you to run across an open field without cover, which isn't the best practice when there are 100 other players looking to kill anything that moves.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A 14-year-old girl who became famous overnight is feuding with Walmart

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danielle bregoli

A 14-year-old reality-TV star is threatening to sue Walmart for selling t-shirts and sweatshirts bearing versions of the phrase that made her famous: "Cash me ousside, how 'bout dah." 

Lawyers representing Danielle Bregoli have written letter to Walmart demanding that the retailer stop selling the clothing, TMZ reports. Bregoli's legal team has given the retailer five days to remove the items.

On Thursday, a total of 15 items with the phrase were available on Walmart's website for between $10.99 and $30.99.

Bregoli became an international sensation last fall after she made an appearance on the "Dr. Phil" show that was later turned into a popular meme on social media. 

Not long after the interview, she started booking appearances that reportedly paid her as much as $30,000 and she now has more than 9.3 million Instagram followers. She also hired bodyguards and a legal team and started selling merchandise with her most famous line from the interview: "Cash me ousside, how 'bout dat."

Bregoli, who was on the show to address a volatile and sometimes violent relationship with her mother, had originally hurled the line at Dr. Phil's audience. Her mother interpreted the phrase for the viewers, saying she was challenging them to a fight.

cash me ousside2It's not clear whether Bregoli has any legal rights over the phrase that made her famous. 

Death and Taxes reports that several people have filed trademarks for versions of it, including Jefferey Perez in North Carolina who applied for "CASH ME OUSSIDE, HOW BOW DAH?", Randall Whitney in North Carolina who applied for "CASH ME OUSSIDE HOW BOW DAH", and Paige Burton in Maryland who applied for "CASH ME OUTSIDE, HOW BOUT DAH?"

A Walmart representative told TMZ the company hasn’t seen Bregoli’s letter but it "takes the claims seriously and will investigate."

Watch a clip from Bregoli's appearance on the Dr. Phil Show. 

SEE ALSO: Ivanka Trump had a surprising response when a pregnant employee asked her about maternity leave

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How World War II bombers and dogfights influenced the most exciting scenes in 'Star Wars'

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To a World War II history buff, the iconic Millennium Falcon from "Star Wars" resembles one of the best-known bombers of all time.

The greenhouse cockpit configuration, along with the gun turrets, aboard the ship was lifted straight out of the blueprints for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.

lockie star warsThe Superfortress was a workhorse of the US Army Air Forces that was best known for dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

b29 superfortress"Star Wars" creator George Lucas is known to have studied 20 to 25 hours of footage from World War II dogfights while doing research for the film.

Ian D'Costa of Tactical Air Network notes that Lucas became particularly enamored with the B-29 and sought to re-create its signature greenhouse-style cockpit with the Millennium Falcon.

According to a 1997 interview with Willard Huyck, a screenwriter who is a friend of Lucas, footage of World War II dogfights was used as a placeholder before the special effects were edited into the original film.

"So one second you're with the Wookiee in the spaceship and the next you're in 'The Bridges at Toko-Ri.' It was like, 'George, what-is-going-on?'" Huyck said.

In his book "Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy," visual effects artist Paul Huston said, "Joe (artist in charge of pyrotechnics) would show me a shot of a Japanese Zero flying left to right in front of a conning tower of an aircraft carrier and say, 'The aircraft carrier is the Death Star, the Zero is an X-wing. Do a board like that.'"

"One of the reasons I started writing "Star Wars" was because I wanted to see starships having exciting battles in space," Lucas said in Jonathan Rinzler's "The Making of Star Wars."

starwars millenium falcon gif

"I loved Flash Gordon and Buck Rodgers serials when I was a kid, but I thought I could create an experience closer to watching a dogfight in a World War II film — with incredible ships diving and banking in a realistic manner," Lucas continued, as noted by StarWars.com.

Whether the new "Star Wars" films will continue this tradition or look to emulate the tropes of more modern aviation is yet to be seen, but the team's shared enthusiasm for evoking past real-life battle scenes paid off in some of the most memorable, exciting scenes in film history.

SEE ALSO: The B-29 Superfortress debuted 73 years ago — relive its legacy in photos

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