Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech, DOD 2025-03-29T13:21:05Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Friday to reduce the DOD's workforce.The DOD will "realign the size" of its civilian workforce and "strategically restructure," the memo said.The department said in February that it planned to cut its civilian headcount by 5 to 8%.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on Friday that aims to shrink the Defense Department's civilian headcount, saying on X that it would help make the DOD "more efficient and incentivize top performers."In a press release, the DOD said the memo dubbed the "Initiating the Workforce Acceleration and Recapitalization Initiative" stated that the department would "realign the size" of its civilian workforce and "strategically restructure it to supercharge our American warfighters.""The net effect will be a reduction in the number of civilian full-time equivalent positions and increased resources in the areas where we need them most," the memo said, per the DOD.As part of the initiative, the department will embrace automation and seek to cut down on "duplicative efforts" and "excessive" bureaucracy, it added.In the memo, Hegseth also called for the reopening of the deferred resignation program, which previously offered some full-time employees the chance to resign with full pay and benefits, and to offer voluntary early retirement to eligible civilian employees."Exemptions should be rare," Hegseth said in the memo. "My intent is to maximize participation so that we can minimize the number of involuntary actions that may be required to achieve the strategic objectives."The memo did not give a target percentage for layoffs. The DOD, which employs more than 950,000 civilians serving in 94 different countries, said in February that it planned to reduce its civilian workforce by 5 to 8%.It comes as part of a wider push to cut federal government spending spearheaded by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.Hegseth announced earlier this month that following a DOGE review, the DOD would be terminating more than $580 million in programs, contracts and grants.Recommended video

Before Final Reckoning, go to the Museum of Moving Image to look back on the past and biggest stunts in Mission: Impossible history.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the 15th iteration of the paradigm-changing smartwatch, and according to reviewers and users alike, it may well be the best one of all. One thing is for certain right now at Amazon its at its best price ever, with a 23% off sale creating a $329 deal (down from $429) thats way too good to pass up.See at AmazonWith an always-on display thats up to 30% larger than previous models of the Apple Watch, a revamped design emphasizing comfort and a light feel on your wrist, faster charging, and even more health and fitness features than before, the Apple Watch Series 10 has been selling like crazy over 10,000 in the past month on Amazon alone. This 23% off deal is just going to drive those numbers higher still, and its the best time for you to jump on the bandwagon.Your Workout PartnerThe Apple Watch has leaned heavily into its fitness and health tracking abilities since debuting 10 years ago, and the Series 10 is no exception. It has all of the trackers of the previous Apple Watches, and adds tracking modes for kayakers, canoers, and rowers, and the new Tides app which monitors coastal conditions. If youre ready to give the Apple Watch Series 10s aquatic features a try, youll be covered by the improved 50-meter water resistance and water temperature sensors.See at AmazonThe rest of Apples superior health tracking is present and accounted for in the Series 10, including on-demand ECG readings, heart and respiration measurements while you sleep, and also detection for signs of sleep apnea. If youre looking to check your heart rate while running or working out, you no longer have to fumble to touch the screen the display of the Series 10 is always on, and its up to 30% larger and 40% brighter than previous models.Slim PickingsWhen you first feel the Apple Watch Series 10 on your wrist, youll wonder if the smartwatch has been the one hitting the gym. The Series 10 is 10% thinner than the Series 9, which is hardly a bulky watch. Other upgrades include IP6X dust resistance, vastly improved sound for when youre taking a call, and the best charging time of any Apple Watch yet only 30 minutes to get up to 80%.There will, of course, be more Apple Watches to come. The Series 10 debuted only a year after the Series 9, and invariably a Series 11 will come along. But the Series 10 isso good that grabbing one now while its at its lowest-ever price at Amazon, just $329, will likely meet your smartwatch needs for years to come.See at Amazon

Hradby Residence / OOOOXSave this picture! Martin ZemanArchitects: OOOOXAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:300 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Martin ZemanManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Vibia, DCW EDITIONS, &Tradition, Bomma, Delta Light, KARMAN, Luceplan, Magis, Marset, NORR11, Pianca, prostoria Lead Architects: Radka Valov, Petr Vlach More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Realization of Hradby ranks among our most popular reconstructions. The object itself was interesting. Fortification guard house with a history dating back to the Middle Ages, vaulted ceilings on the ground floor, wooden painted ceilings on the first floor, original tiled stove. Enlightened clients, who approached the reconstruction very carefully and responsibly, were an absolutely essential ingredient of this realization. The goal was to restore as many elements as possible and to complement the entire space sensitively with a modern interior. When we got involved in the project, the layouts of the individual floors were given. The social part of the house is located on the entrance floor - a large living room with a dining room, a separate kitchen and a guest room in the original unnecessary garage. Upstairs, there is another living room and bedroom with bathrooms.Save this picture!The ground floor, as is the case with similar objects, suffers from moisture. The original stone wall was very damp. So, we followed the path of cutting away the plaster, exposing the walls and vaults so that the structures could breathe. Only the lower part of the perimeter walls is provided with rehabilitation plaster. These had to be done repeatedly in order to get the maximum amount of moisture out of the walls. The other internal plasters are glazed and finely polished, which is how we achieved very interesting reflections and structure. The vaults have been reinforced with helical braces, and the light outlets are made from the upper floor to keep the vaults visually compact. The floors are partially ventilated using an "igloo"; drainage is placed around the perimeter of the walls. The stairs to the upper floor were in very bad condition. Here, too, we used exposed stone walls and highlighted the structure with an illuminated handrail. This creates a dramatic play of lights and shadows and contrasts between the plastered wall and the rough stone wall, which is divided by the line of the handrail. Even the stairs had to be ventilated from below.Save this picture!Save this picture!The entire interior is ventilated by recuperation, the wiring is hidden in here, and the vents are equipped with period cast iron grills so that they do not visually disturb the interior. The upper floor is completely different. Here, on the other hand, wooden structures are already appearing. The asphalt coating was removed from the original planks on the floor, and the planks were very carefully hand-brushed and oiled to a gray tone. This floor also has the original tiled stove, which has been restored. The floor in front of the stove was supplemented with attic tiles (brick paving) from the bazaar. All floors are made without slats, only with flexible expansion. In addition to the period tiled stoves, this floor has unique painted beamed ceilings.Save this picture!The white paint was largely removed from them, and the original paintings were restored using reactive stains. We illuminated all these painted ceilings indirectly, creating a very pleasant lighting effect in the bedrooms. Here, too, we left the plaster "untightened" with exposed brickwork under the ceilings. In the attic, the original roof was preserved to the maximum extent and supplemented with above-rafter insulation. Thanks to this, the original roof remained visible in the interior and not hidden in the structure. The advantage is that it is possible to supervise the condition of the original structures. Locally necessary beam replacements were hand-hewn with a chisel to match the structure as much as possible. The deck padding is precisely made without moldings.Save this picture!However, the whole house is not only made in the traditional spirit. Contemporary technology, such as underfloor heating with a heat pump and recuperation, was sensitively installed throughout the interior. In addition, the heating is complemented by a fireplace insert in the living room. The interior, as such, is done in a contemporary spirit. The exposed stonework is painted in gray tones, and the passages through the powerful load-bearing walls are framed by a thin cladding of raw waxed steel. The floors on the ground floor are in tiles of a smaller format, folded "dovetail". The dining room is dominated by a large circular dining table with engraved coordinates that record important life moments for clients. A dominant multi-armed chandelier is placed above the dining table. The kitchen space with vaults gave rise to an atypical kitchen unit that respects the arches of the vaults and at the same time has everything you need. The furniture, like all built-in furniture in the house, is completely ventilated. The central island is made of solid wood with a stainless steel worktop, and the other parts of the furniture have steel doors.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeOOOOXOfficePublished on March 29, 2025Cite: "Hradby Residence / OOOOX" 29 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1028524/hradby-residence-oooox&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Ever had poison ivy? If so, you probably noticed that scratching made the rash much worse. But scratching an itch, especially one as intense as that caused by poison ivy, is nigh irresistible and feels so satisfying.If you think about it, says Daniel Kaplan, who is a dermatologist and immunologist at the University of Pittsburgh, thats a little curious. When comparing this action to pain, pain causes you to stop what youre doing and tend to the wound. But the pain also creates a memory that tells you not to repeat whatever you were doing when you got hurt or to wear gloves the next time you prune the roses.From an evolutionary standpoint, theres a clear and obvious benefit to that pain, he says. But with scratching, the damage feels good. Its as if when you cut yourself with a knife, you were immediately compelled to grab the knife and do it again. Wheres the advantage in that?Because itching and scratching have been observed throughout evolution dogs scratch, cats scratch, fish scratch there must be some benefit to it, says Kaplan. Scratching can help remove mites and other irritants from the skin, of course, but that doesnt explain why we scratch rashes.Why Scratching Makes the Rash WorseTo solve this enigma, Kaplan and his team began by looking into why scratching makes rashes worse. Their research was published this January in Science.The answer involves mast cells. Mast cells are activated by allergens (poison ivy, for example), causing inflammation and itching. The researchers showed that scratching activates pain-sensing neurons, causing them to release substance P (a neurotransmitter involved in pain signaling and inflammation), which in turn activates mast cells via a second pathway. So, by activating mast cells through two different pathways, scratching triggers even more inflammation on top of the inflammation that made you itch in the first place. And thats why scratching makes the itch worse.The Benefit of ScratchingSo Kaplan and his team discovered how scratching makes the rash worse. But whats the benefit to all this? So far, it seems as if scratching = bad. Case closed. But not so fast. Mast cells also play a role in protecting the skin from harmful bacteria. Indeed, the team found that scratching reduces the presence of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common culprit responsible for skin infections.To Scratch or Not to Scratch?So, whats the takeaway here? Should you scratch or not? Kaplan says thats the question people always ask him. The answer, he says, is simple: Dont scratch. Thats because the bacterial infection is rare; the bigger risk is the allergic reaction thats causing the itching, he says. Scratching will just make your rash worse and your life more miserable.Christopher Brooks agrees and adds that scratching breaks down the skin barrier, which can lead to worsening of conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Brooks is an allergist and immunologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. However, he stresses that while these findings do help explain why we itch, we should still try to scratch as little as possible. Avoiding scratching wont make you more likely to get a skin infection.Kaplan hopes this research, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the German Research Foundation, will lead to better therapies for eczema.I think it's quite possible the reason [previous] trials failed is they were silencing the wrong pathway on mast cells. Kaplan adds that his experiments were done on mice (mice who were wearing tiny, adorable Elizabethan ruffs, no less) and have not yet been done on humans.Read More: Why Scratching an Itch Feels So GoodArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Avery Hurt is a freelance science journalist. In addition to writing for Discover, she writes regularly for a variety of outlets, both print and online, including National Geographic, Science News Explores, Medscape, and WebMD. Shes the author of Bullet With Your Name on It: What You Will Probably Die From and What You Can Do About It, Clerisy Press 2007, as well as several books for young readers. Avery got her start in journalism while attending university, writing for the school newspaper and editing the student non-fiction magazine. Though she writes about all areas of science, she is particularly interested in neuroscience, the science of consciousness, and AIinterests she developed while earning a degree in philosophy.

Everything you need to know to photograph a meteor shower, from choosing the right time to camera settings, and some advanced techniques for creating meteor images you can be proud of.

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Xalavier Nelson Jr. visits us to talk about TMNT: Tactical Takedown.

Even if Red Dead Redemption 3 doesn't see the return of the Van Der Linde gang, it should have an equivalent group. The Van Der Lindes were a major driving force for the first two games in the series, with both of their protagonists being prominent members. Whether Red Dead Redemption 3's protagonist will have any association with the game is still up in the air, as is most information about the game (or even the franchise). Whether the gang is seen again or not, the Van Der Lindes have one undeniable strength, and Red Dead Redemption 3 would be wise to remember that.

A Red Dead Redemption 2 fan shared their surprise at spotting a deer in an odd place in the game. Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of surprises, but some of them aren't necessarily intentional on the part of the game's developers.