TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Trump's Federal Worker Buyout Could Squeeze ITTrump's Federal Worker Buyout Could Squeeze ITIn an email that warned of imminent downsizing at all federal agencies, workers were informed of several directives that included a full-time return to office and an offer to resign by Feb. 6 in exchange for seven months of salary.Shane Snider, Senior Writer, InformationWeekJanuary 29, 20253 Min Readzixia via Alamy StockThe Trump Administration late Tuesday offered almost all federal employees a buyout that covers nearly eight months of salary if workers choose to resign -- which could have a profound impact on the tens of thousands of federal IT workers.In an email from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which serves as the federal governments human resources agency, workers were told: If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program. Workers were told to simply reply with Resign to accept the offer.The subject line of the email, Fork in the Road, mirrored Elon Musks similar 2022 letter to Twitter employees after buying the social media platform. Musk has vowed to help the Trump Administration drastically cut government spending in his role as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Reports said Musk visited the OPM building on Friday.As one of four pillars to reform the federal workforce, the email also announced a full-time return to office for the substantial majority of federal workers who have worked remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic. The other pillars included new performance standards, a warning of downsizing for most agencies, and standards of conduct that call for workers to be reliable, loyal, trustworthy Related:The American Federation of Government Employees blasted the move, saying it would cause chaos, pressuring workers not deemed loyal to the new administration to quit.Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government, the unions president, Everett Kelley, said in a statement. Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear the Trump administrations goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.According to the email, the program was effective Jan. 28 and available to all federal employees until Feb. 6 and employees accepting the buyout would be exempted from in-person work requirements until Sept. 25.Potential IT ImpactAccording to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), there are about 4.5 million federal government employees, split evenly between military and civilian personnel. National security and homeland security workers are exempted from the buyout offer. That leaves about 2 million workers that could be impacted.Related:The White House said it expects up to 10% of federal employees to resign.Information technology and computer science account for about 79,000 federal jobs and more than two-thirds of agencies have at least one IT employee, according to non-profit Go Government.According to a May report from the Office of Management and Budget, 10% of the civilian federal workforce, or 228,000 employees, worked entirely remotely. The report found that of the employees who worked a hybrid office/home schedule, 61.2% of their work hours were spent in a traditional office setting.The report was produced under the previous Biden Administration, which advocated a hybrid work approach that would reduce the footprint of physical office space. Trump signed an executive order in his first few days of office requiring federal employees return to office full-time.About the AuthorShane SniderSenior Writer, InformationWeekShane Snider is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of industry experience. He started his career as a general assignment reporter and has covered government, business, education, technology and much more. He was a reporter for the Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh News and Observer and most recently a tech reporter for CRN. He was also a top wedding photographer for many years, traveling across the country and around the world. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.See more from Shane SniderNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Im not going to say my nine-year-old daughter is a better film critic than I am.First of all, canyou imagine the disses social media would send me way if I admitted that? Plus, I dont think thats necessarily true. (You should see what she wrote about Last Year at Marienbad. She didnt get it at all!)Nevertheless, Ive reached a point in my life where I am far more interested in my daughters thoughts about kids movies than my own. She is the target audience for these films, not me, and shes also an extremely thoughtful and articulate little person. In 2023 (when she was still only seven) I realized our post-movie conversations werebecoming far more enjoyable than the films we talked about. So I began turning them into articles, starting with Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, and continuing through all the 2024 kids movies we saw together (along with her younger sister) like Despicable Me 4, Wicked, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.I was especially interested in her thoughts on the Dog Man movie because we have read every single Dog Man book together. For a long stretch of 2023 and 2024, they were our bedtime stories of choice. The Dog Man graphic novels by artist Dav Pilkey are filled with juvenile humor and silly jokes and surprisingly personal messages about goodness and kindness and pain. I read all the Dog Mansout loud to the kids, and they liked them so much theyve since gone back and re-read most of them on their own. They genuinely love Dog Man.So after the press screening of the Dog Man movie, over some hot dogs at Grays Papaya, we discussed our personal reactions to the film. Did it capture the flavor of the books? Did it get anything wrong? What does this movie have to say about do-gooders and bad guys?At times the conversation involved my nine-year-old savagely roasting me formy stupidity. (Im used to that at this point, sadly.) At others, it evolved into a surprisingly serious discussion about grief and loss. What follows is a very lightly edited transcript of what was said.Dog ManUniversalloading...READ MORE: The Best Movies to Show Kids to Get Them Hooked on FilmDAD: So what did you think of the movie?It was super good.But was it supa good?Supa.[Laughs]Did you think that they did a good job capturing the books?Yeah. They, like, they showed it all. Everything that was important. They might have left a few things out, like seeing more of Lil Peteys grandpa. The books, as you read them, he comes up a lot. But I liked it. Its really good.Yeah, I liked how they captured the feel of the books. It looked like the books, they had some dialogue straight from the books. Is your hot dog okay? Youre not eating.Yeah. Its just hot.Oh okay. I also liked they had so many of the characters. They really crammed a lot of the characters from many books into one movie. Lil Petey wasnt in the first couple novels. 80-HD wasnt in the first couple novels.The first two books were all about Dog Man.Right.And then Lil Petey comes along and steals the show. I feel like once Lil Petey comes along he makes everything better.Hes kind of the best character.[with mouth full of hot dog] Mmmhmm. [imitating Lil Petey] Whyyyyyyyy?They did that multiple times. One of our favorite running gags from the books.Yeah, thats really funny.Not when you do it to me.Yes it is. You know it is.Okay, its a little funny.UniversalUniversalloading...Now when we read the books, we do our own voices for all the characters. I always thought I did a very good Petey especially. What did you think of the voices in the film? Were they good?A few of the characters had accents. Like Sarah Hatoff. [Voiced by Isla Fisher]And Flippy. [Voiced by Ricky Gervais]I feel like Peteys voice was a little different than how I imagined it. But in the books you kind of make up the characters voice yourself. It doesnt have to be the exact same as how youd do it. I think they did a really good job. I liked Chief [voiced by Lil Rel Howery] a lot.You liked Chiefs voice?In every book, Dog Man jumps on Chief and Chiefs always like No, get off me! Bad Dog Man!And that was in the movie too.I really liked that.One question I had was about Living Spray. In the film, there is this Living Spray factory where they make some kind of Living Spray which brings things to life. And of course then it brings all kinds of evil monsters to life; it brings Flippy to life and then it even brings buildings to life. Why would you make Living Spray?! All it does is create monsters that destroy the city! Isnt that a bad idea?[sigh] Dad. This is a book, a made-up book. Living Spray isnt real.Oh.Also, what else would make Flippy alive?Thats true.Speaking of Flippy, in the beginning they dont really talk about Flippy [getting more animated]Just be careful. Dont, dont [waves hot dog more dramatically] Hes a dead fish, but like Youre waving around your hot dog.I just dont want you to drop it before you can finish it.[Puts down hot dog] They dont even explain what happened to Flippy.They sort of explain it, but I agree with you; that was a little hard to follow. They just kind of rush through who Flippy is. He needed his own movie, instead of being part of a movie where hes thrown in as the bad guy as an afterthought. Its like if you didnt read the books, its kind of like What?[At this point, her mouth was entirely full of hot dog, but I thinkthat is what she was trying to say.]Dog ManUniversalloading...Right ... if you didnt read the books, I do think a lot of Dog Man would be a little confusing. The movie flies very fast through a lot of plot and characters. Heres something I feel, and I want your opinion about it. Even though its called Dog Man, Dog Man is not the best character. Is that fair? I feel like Petey is much more interesting.Petey and Lil Petey. I think this is because you cant always see how Dog Man is changing.Well, he cant talk.Yes. But he howls. He whimpers. You can see how hes feeling. But seeing a character whos gone through so much...Sure, Dog Man was a man who had his head replaced with the head of a dog. Thats a lot to go through, youre right.No! I mean how much Petey has gone through.Oh.His Dad left him!Yes, youre right. Thats a lot to go through also. Hes a tragic figure.His story is so hard. Not every part is happy, but its so interesting to see a character like that. And Lil Petey, he is a do-gooder. Hes very heroic and generous. I think its just called Dog Man because the first book was all about him.Dog ManUniversalloading...One big difference I noticed between the books and the movies is that the books have whats called a framing story where you see that Dog Man is actually a comic book thats written by these two kids, George and Harold. The movies ignore that aspect completely. Did it bother you that that wasnt a part of the movie at all?Well, I didnt read the Captain Underpants books until after I read Dog Man. I didnt really care about the George and Harold part. [George and Harold were introduced in the Captain Underpantsbooks.] Its a Dog Man movie. What would they even include? Like, George and Harold flipping pages?They could. It would explain why the world of Dog Man is so silly and strange and kid-like.Meh. Its great as a movie.So you didnt miss them. No. The story is really the thing that I care about. I dont mind if George and Harold arent there. When I read the books, I sometimes might skip the beginning [Exaggerated gasp] You ... skipped ... the George and Harold parts, didnt you?!?[Laughs] Well...Youre in big trouble.When we read it all together the first time, we definitely read that stuff. But now that Im familiar with them, and its not important to the story, I might skip ahead.So thats why they could cut them out.Yeah, or maybe they said This movie is long enough.Dog ManUniversalloading...Did you have a favorite part in the movie?I liked it all.You liked it all?I really liked it when Lil Petey says Whyyyyyyy? I feel like thats Lil Peteys catchphrase.Is there any part of the movie you didnt like?I didnt like how it didnt explain Flippy at all. What did you think about the movie? You keep asking me what I thought.I liked the movie fine when it started, but I thought once they introduced Lil Petey it got better. Kind of like the books, actually. The books are cute at first, but once Lil Petey comes along and Petey becomes a more complicated character, then theyre not just silly or funny they also have a nice message. Like, did you notice the thing that Lil Petey uses to help save the day? Im not sure...What does he always give to people to cheer them up?[Laughs] Comic books.Comic books are like a secret weapon in this movie. And I think thats really cool, that the thing that helps people deal with their problems, or figure out their lives, or understand how other people feel, are these comics. I love that idea that these seemingly silly little comics can actually help people. Because when I was a kid, thats what comics were for me. They helped me a lot. And it doesnt have to be a comic; a movie can do that, a book can do that. But because Dog Man is based on these very sweet comics for kids, that idea works even better.I feel like now were getting into the lessons of the movie. Another lesson that shows up that I really like is they dont really explain this in the movie but its in the book but Peteys mom died when he was young and his dad leaves him, and he gets kind of lonely and its hard for him. Its hard when people leave you. But we have to move on in life, and we have to know that these things happen and the memories of our loved ones are never going to be gone.UniversalUniversalloading...Thats very true. Is there a character that you relate to or you feel like was close to who you are and how you feel?I feel like everyone can relate to Petey in some way, where they might lose someone or something that is very close to them and it changes them in a negative way. And I feel like that happens to all of us at some point in our life, where someones very close to us, and something happens to them. We can all relate to that. And its okay to feel the things we feel.I agree with you. It is okay to feel the things we feel. Feelings are important. Okay, is there a character who reminds you of me?Chief.Chief? Why Chief?Hes so funny and youre so funny.Oh, thank you. Its not because he yells at Dog Man all the time?He doesnt yell at him all the time. I feel like its more of a protective thing.Ah. Well then maybe he is like me. Maybe Chief is yelling at Dog Man because he loves him very much.You and mom tell me and my sister things like No no no, you cant do that! Thats not safe! And we sometimes think thats unfair. But I kind of feel like thats for our safety?Now youre getting it.Get our free mobile appThe Scariest Kids Movies in History

Apparently Sally really likes mayonnaise.The recently teased reunion ofWhen Harry Met Sallystars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal is indeed a Super Bowl ad. When the pair began teasing their new project together, I speculated it was going to be in a Super Bowl commercial, maybe for something like financial planning services.Close, but no cigar. It turns out Crystal and Ryan returned to thelocation ofWhen Harry Met Sallysmost famous scene Katzs Deli in New York City in a spot for Hellmanns mayonnaise. The idea being that a Katzs pastrami sandwich is good, but a sandwich with mayo is even better. (Debatable!)You can watch the 60-second version of the commercial below:READ MORE: The Best Super Bowl Ads EverI am sure people are going to want to compare the new ad to the original scene, so here that is. (If youre watching at work you, uh, might want to turn the volume down or put on some headphones.)These sorts of kitschy reunions have become a very popular subgenre of Super Bowl ads in recent years. You can always count on one or two of them. A couple of years ago, for example, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul reprised their roles fromBreaking Bad in a spot for of all things PopCorners chips. (They dont always make sense.)Will Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal be the only stars of a nostalgic favorite to reunite in a commercial, or will there be more? Well find outwhen this years Super Bowl airs live on Fox on Sunday, February 9. The game will feature the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs squaring off with the Philadelphia Eagles.Get our free mobile appThe Dad Movie Canon: 25 Films All Dads LoveNo dad can resist these 25 movie classics.Filed Under: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Super Bowl, When Harry Met SallyCategories: Movie News

Nash Partnrership behind citys largest brownfield mixed-use schemeThe Nash Partnership-designed scheme will include 980 homes and 40,000sq m of commercial spaceExeter council has approved plans for nearly 1,000 homes on a dilapidated waterside site.The Water Lane scheme has been designed by Nash Partnership for developer Water Lane Development Management Company and will include a total of 980 homes, 40,000sq m of office space, 320 student homes and over 100 later living homes.The mostly vacant and unused 6ha brownfield site, described by Nash as exceptionally difficult and neglected is located along a canal around 1km from Exeter city centre.It is the largest mixed-use brownfield site in the councils local regeneration plan and its development has been a top priority for the local authority, which described it in the planning hearing as probably one of the most important [applications] this committee has considered in many years.The homes will be built on an exceptionally difficult and neglected site along a canalThe outline application was submitted in 2023 before undergoing a lengthy consultation period, which influenced a series of design amendments submitted last year.Water Lane DMC project director Richard Clarke said: Weve reached a huge milestone in our journey towards regenerating this highly sustainable but very challenging site.Theres still much work to be done, but were keen to keep up the momentum by getting the site prepared and submitting infrastructure designs for consideration as soon as we can.

Eurostar wants to boost passenger numbers to 30 million by the end of decadeSt Pancras station is the London terminus of Eurostars cross-Channel serviceThe high speed rail line which links London with the Channel Tunnel is looking for an architect team to design an expansion of the international platforms at St Pancras Station.HS1 has launched a tender process to rethink parts of the grade I-listed station to support plans by Eurostar, the cross-Channel rail service which uses the line, to expand passenger numbers from the current 19 million to 30 million by the end of this decade.The contract notice follows initial feasibility work for the scheme undertaken by design consultant Active Thinking, which was appointed last July.This study looked into the likely numbers of passengers which would need to be accommodated in the international part of the station and the required operational and design interventions.HS1 said the work had identified the expansion is feasible and it is now ready to progress the proposals to RIBA stage two, which will cover the design concept.This is expected to see a reconfiguration of the ground floor of the Eurostar areas of the station to allow a significant uplift in passenger capacity that will meet forecasted requirements to at least 2035, HS1 said.Interested teams have until 12 February to send in bids.

Earlier today (29 January), Rachel Reeves spelled out a series of major announcements on infrastructure projects, resurrecting a number of stalled or previously shelved schemes as part of the Labour governments ambition to go further and faster to kickstart economic growth.As well as the big ticket items, Reeves spelled out proposals to limit potential judicial review actions which could derail large-scale developments and a new approach to planning decisions on land around stations, changing the default answer to yes for homes and offices.Her most controversial announcement was her backing to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport, which, although approved by parliament in mid-June 2018, has been beset by legal challenges and widely condemned by climate campaigners.AdvertisementIn 2020 Grimshaw, which had been working on the airports 14 billion expansion scheme before the plans were put on hold after being deemed unlawful by the Court of Appeal on environmental grounds, was forced to lay off staff connected to the job. The AJ100 practice had beaten Zaha Hadid Architects, Benoy and HOK in the contest to design a new hub airport of the future four years before.Justifying her decision to push forward with the on-off expansion, Reeves said a third runway would unlock further growth, boost investment, increase exports, and make the UK more open and more connected. She tied in the announcement with a commitment to modernise UK airspace [by] transitioning to greener aviation. Reeves claimed sustainable aviation fuel reduces CO2 emissions compared to fossil jet fuel by around 70 per cent and would be supporting UK producers by investing 63 million in 2025-26 into the Advanced Fuels Fund.The chancellor said she had invited Heathrow Airport to submit plans to expand the airportReeves confirmed transport secretary Heidi Alexander would be taking decisions shortly on expansion plans at Gatwick and Luton, and that the government would work with Doncaster Council and the mayor of South Yorkshire to support efforts to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.Elsewhere Reeves resuscitated the idea of the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor an idea which has been on the drawing board for nearly two decades saying this science and technology-focused region could add 78 billion to the UK economy by 2035.AdvertisementFour years ago, construction of a 3.5 billion Oxford to Cambridge expressway was cancelled after analysis showed the benefits the road would deliver were outweighed by its costs.But today Reeves confirmed funding for transport projects in the region, including an upgrade on the A428 between Milton Keynes and Cambridge as well as a new East West Rail line.She also mentioned the government had received 18 submissions for sizeable new developments along the route of this rail link, with new and expanded communities in the growth corridor.Responding to the news, dRMMs Sadie Morgan, a member of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: The chancellors green light to unleash the Oxford to Cambridge corridors full economic potential is welcome news after a number of false starts, and Im pleased the governments ambition matches the scale of transformation we envisaged in the Commissions original report in 2017.It is vital that the transport, water and housing constraints on economic growth in one of the UKs most productive areas are removed filling in gaps on East West Rail, improving the regions strategic roads and concerted action to secure its water supplies are therefore significant steps forward. The governments compelling vision for the corridor must now be turned into a comprehensive economic plan.Reeves has also signalled the governments support for the redevelopment of Manchester Uniteds Old Trafford home and surrounding area an emerging masterplan which is being overseen by Foster + Partners. Source:Manchester UnitedManchester United's September 2024 Old Trafford masterplan proposalsThe Premier League club is due to decide at the end of the season on whether to revamp and extend the existing stadium into an 87,000-capacity venue or build a brand-new 100,000-capacity ground.It is understood the government money will be used to move three rail freight terminals which lie in the way of the proposed redevelopment, which could create 5,000 homes and a second major football campus across the city from Manchester Citys large sports complex in the east.Reacting to the chancellors announcements, Allan Wiln, economic director at construction analysts Glenigan, said: While major projects take time to break ground, a firm government commitment to fresh investment in the built environment could have an immediate positive effect - bolstering private sector confidence and accelerating project pipelines.,Government commitments to fresh investment could have an immediate positive effectCutting red tape in the planning process would further unlock development, ensuring projects move from approval to construction more quickly.However, he added: But planning reform alone wont be enough to deliver the promised building boom. Supply chains, skilled labour, and market confidence must also align. The governments 10-Year Infrastructure Working Paper acknowledges this, but success will depend on real, sustained investment in workforce development and supply chain resilience.Without this, even the most ambitious planning overhaul risks being undermined by practical constraints on delivery.CommentsMuyiwa Oki, president of the Royal Institute of British ArchitectsThe governments focus on delivering new homes and national infrastructure is great news these are essential drivers for economic growth and moves to unlock land near transport hubs can be transformative. We need vibrant, well-connected neighbourhoods with everything from accessible transport to green space and bustling local centres.But quality matters when creating new developments. Architecture plays a crucial role in ensuring that new places are sustainable, liveable and fit for the future. We remain ready to work with government to meet this challenge head-on. We look forward to seeing more detail in the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill.Janet Young, director general of the Institution of Civil EngineersInvestors and the construction supply chain need certainty so that they are confident that the UK is an attractive place to deliver infrastructure and updating the Green Book could help address regional imbalances in investment.While more detail is needed on how the government will support growth and meet its net zero ambitions, delivering infrastructure and meeting the countrys climate objectives shouldnt be seen as an either/or choice. Planning and delivering the right infrastructure can go hand in hand with achieving the countrys net zero ambitions.

Ever since I bleached my hair four years ago, I've been left with locks that are often frizzy, dry and dull. To find a solution, I've read countless articles and Reddit threads offering the same advice: Go to bed with asilk pillowcase. I normally use a cotton one, and when I wake up, my bedhead is intense and requires brushing, which renders any wavy hair care routine for my 2a/2b waves and curls pointless.Though skeptical, I decided to try a silk pillowcase, for which Cozy Earth sent me the 100% mulberry silk pillowcase (currently on sale for $82). This is what happened, complete with photo evidence.See at Cozy EarthBefore the silk pillowcase Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. I've been using 100% cotton pillowcases for the past few years. While I wouldn't say they've provided the most luxurious experience, they get the job done. However, I wake up every day with tangled, frizzy hair and fabric lines on my face. This is compounded by the fact that I'm a hot sleeper, which adds to the chaos especially since my cotton pillowcases aren't cooling.Following wavy hair routines, post-shower, I would use a leave-in conditioner or wave spray to scrunch my hair, emphasizing my curls. I try not to use too much product since my hair is thin and quick to look oily. After that, it dries and looks presentable. But then, I go to bed and wake up with this Anna Gragert/CNETThis hair is tangled to the point where it requires brushing (combing through with my fingers won't work). I'm left with a poof of frizz with no defined curls or waves in sight. This has happened so often that I've stopped performing my post-shower wavy hair routine since my bedhead is powerful enough to make the whole endeavor feel pointless.Silk pillowcases reduce friction and don't absorb as much moisture, which helps preserve hairstyles, maintain hair hydration and prevent tangles and breakage. Because of the gentle fabric, it is also said to be great for sensitive, acne-prone skin -- though it is not a one-stop miracle cure. With this information in mind, I switched out my cotton pillowcase for a silk one.After the silk pillowcaseUpon resting my head on the pillowcase, I immediately felt a difference. The lack of friction made it easier for me to glide my skin and hair across the case, while the fabric has more of a cooling effect than cotton (perfect for hot sleepers like me). Now, for the real test: sleeping with the silk pillowcase.I loved sleeping with this fabric. It felt much cooler and more luxurious than my cotton pillowcases. Plus, there were no residual fabric lines on my skin. As for my hair, I performed my post-shower wavy routine, went to bed and woke up like this Anna Gragert/CNETWhile my hair still became messier overnight, it wasn't nearly as tangled and frizzy as it typically is. I could still make out more pronounced waves and slight curls. Usually, when I wake up, my hair looks like it's mad at me, but this time, it just looked perturbed. It was easier to comb out with my fingers, meaning that the hairbrush was only slightly necessary and, as a result, my frizz poof was reduced. My hair also felt softer to the touch and more hydrated.Since silk pillowcases can be more expensive than cotton ones, I secretly hoped this experiment wouldn't work. But based on these results, I think silk pillowcases are worth it -- especially if you're prepared to take care of them to prolong their lifespan.These are Cozy Earth's care instructions for its silk pillowcase: "Machine washable, cool iron, DO NOT DRY, mild detergent OR HAND WASH delicately." I've seen other brands recommend treating your silk product gently at every step by prioritizing hand washing or using the washing machine's gentle cycle with the item in a separate mesh laundry bag for delicates.Again, I'm low-maintenance: I used the washing machine with a mild detergent. My apartment building's model doesn't have a gentle cycle, so I placed the pillowcase in a protective mesh bag before washing it. Then, I let it air dry flat and had no issues.Do I recommend a silk pillowcase? Anna Gragert/CNETIf you're tired of bedhead, sleep hot or hate waking up with fabric lines on your skin -- and you have the cash to spare or a birthday wishlist -- I think a silk pillowcase is worth it. Generally, I believe any product that can improve your sleep is worth it if you're willing to take care of it properly.If you're looking to save and still reap the benefits of a silky pillowcase, CNET's favorite budget silk pillowcase is just $10. As for no more aggressive bedhead, that is priceless.

Virtual private networks, or VPNs, mask your public IP address so you can make apps and websites think youre in a different city, state, or even country. Theyre great tools for general privacy, streaming foreign Netflix libraries, or circumventing censorship. However, VPNs may not function correctly in certain situations, like when traveling to a country where VPNs are frowned upon.NordVPNs new NordWhisper protocol aims to bypass VPN blocks to provide privacy in more places. If youre traveling to a country where VPNs are frowned upon or trying to use a virtual private network on school Wi-Fi, NordWhisper may be the right protocol for you.NordWhisper masquerades as standard web traffic in an attempt to slip through filtersWhen you use a VPN, the protocol you pick establishes an encrypted connection between your device and a VPN server. VPN protocols determine how your device talks to the server, and, like other methods of communication, there are different benefits. WireGuard and its derivatives, including NordVPNs NordLynx, offer speedier encryption, while OpenVPN is slower but regarded as more robust. The aptly named NordWhisper tries to disguise the fact that youre using a VPN by impersonating traditional web traffic. Because it utilizes web tunnel technology, the secure connection might be more effective at slipping through network filters. Initially, NordLynx is available on Windows, Android and Linux, with more device support to follow.Obfuscated servers -- which Nord has -- attempt to accomplish a similar feat, although some internet networks may have VPN-specific blocking in place. Because it appears like regular web traffic, NordWhisper might work in countries or on internet networks that dont play nicely with VPNs. If youve tried traditional obfuscation unsuccessfully, switching to NordWhisper may let you keep your VPN enabled. For instance, if youre connected to your schools Wi-Fi and want your VPN on for privacy, NordWhisper may be worth a try.In a press release, NordVPN CTO Marijus Briedis said, We designed NordWhisper with our users in mind. Its not just about getting around network restrictions; its about empowering people to work, communicate, and access essential services securely and freely, even in the most restrictive environments.Although NordWhisper may be more effective at circumventing VPN restrictions than OpenVPN or the companys proprietary NordLynx protocol, it may slow down your internet connection. All VPNs slow your internet download speeds somewhat, but the fastest VPNs have a nearly unnoticeable effect. If you want to stream BBC iPlayer, Netflix or Disney Plus in 4K, youll likely want to skip NordWhisper in favor of NordLynx.Notably, Nord isnt alone in rolling out advanced VPN protocols with the intent of avoiding VPN restrictions. Proton VPNs Stealth protocol also tries to mask a VPN connection as regular web traffic.For more on virtual private networks, heres how to use a VPN on various platforms and a guide to common VPN terms.

January 29, 20255 min readTrump Funding Freeze Could Set Disaster Recovery Back for YearsPresident Donald Trumps sudden move to freeze federal grants is hitting states where people are struggling to recover from wildfires and hurricanesA person assesses damages of his house after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on September 28, 2024. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty ImagesCLIMATEWIRE | The federal government Tuesday shut down the online system it uses to distribute billions in disaster aid after President Donald Trump ordered agencies to freeze the flow of public money, alarming officials who are struggling to respond to catastrophes.The Federal Emergency Management Agency cut off access to the online portal, which funnels roughly $30 billion a year to states for disaster expenses ranging from debris cleanup to infrastructure repairs, following Trump's expansive order to halt federal funding as the White House scrutinizes spending programs, Todd DeVoe, emergency coordinator for Inglewood, California, told POLITICOs E&E News.We may see recovery delayed for years, said DeVoe, who is second vice president of the International Association of Emergency Managers in the United States. The grant portal where we do all grant work is inaccessible.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.FEMA did not respond to requests for comment. The spending pause outlined by a memo released late Monday by the Office of Management and Budget was causing confusion within the disaster agency, according to people within FEMA who were not authorized to speak to the press. A federal judge blocked Trump's spending freeze on Tuesday evening, minutes before it was scheduled to take effect, until Feb. 3.Its going to slow things down when theres already frustration with how long it takes for communities to recover, former FEMA chief of staff Michael Coen told E&E News, referring to the funding disruption. Its just one more thing they now have to deal with.The spending pause was scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, four days after Trump assailed FEMA and the Biden administration for the response to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina in late September. The freeze affected programs across the government as the administration undertook a sprawling review to ensure they comply with Trump's executive orders, including cutting off funds for diversity, equity and inclusion.A halt to FEMA spending could affect every state that has been hit by a major storm, wildfire or other disaster in the past decade or more as they wait for the federal government to reimburse them for recovery projects. FEMA pays 75-100 percent of rebuilding costs and is still reimbursing states for disasters that occurred two decades ago.Theyre kind of in limbo right now, trying to figure out if theyre going to be funded or not, DeVoe said. The pause could really impact low-income states and communities.A lot depends on how long FEMA withholds funding. If this is just a short pause, DeVoe said, there may be no harm, no foul.It's unclear how a halt will affect recovery efforts related to the wildfires in Southern California or from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which battered Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in addition to North Carolina.Southeastern states are still cleaning up debris left by the hurricanes, but they have not yet sought reconstruction aid from FEMA. The California wildfires are still active. FEMA has agreed to pay a large share of cleanup costs for the hurricanes and fires and for emergency housing.Category B is paying for a lot of people in North Carolina to be in hotel rooms, Coen said, referring to FEMA disaster aid for emergency protection. Thats also paying for funding in California for the immediate response to the wildfires.Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), who represents the heavily damaged Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, accused Trump of inappropriately halting funds that had been approved by Congress.They dont know whether theyve got a place to sleep, Sherman said of the thousands of fire victims staying in hotels and counting on FEMA to pay the bill.I know that Americans are frustrated with government, Sherman said. But throwing a monkey wrench in it is bad and hitting fire victims with the monkey wrench over the head is worse.Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said, I just can't imagine they're going to tap the brakes on immediate disaster aid. If you're talking about subsequent resiliency funding, those sorts of things, I could see where the delay may make sense to figure out how to spend it.Households likely not affectedAlthough FEMA reimbursement to states appears to be on hold, the agency is likely to continue to give households affected by disasters small amounts of aid for emergency expenses.Assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. As examples, Leavitt pointed to payments through Social Security, Medicare and welfare programs.FEMA has given nearly 24,000 households in Southern California an average of $2,150 in aid and has been approving thousands of applications every day since Trump took office, FEMA records show.Many Los Angeles fire survivors are housekeepers, landscapers and nannies who lost their jobs and homes because of the blazes, said Joseph Toms McKellar, executive director at PICO California, a faith-based community organizing network.These are the kind of desperate, sort of immediate needs that people have for just direct cash aid, McKellar said. What we need right now is not more chaos but compassion.The broader White House review of federal grant programs could permanently affect FEMA disaster aid to states and individuals. Both have been modified over the years to comply with executive orders concerning equity and environmental justice that Trump revoked last week.The Biden administration revised FEMAs individual assistance program to help minority households qualify. FEMA expanded the list of documents that can be used to prove residency, largely to help Black people in the South who did not have deeds to inherited property because their ancestors had been excluded from the legal system.FEMA also gives extra scrutiny to rebuilding projects that may result in disproportionately high and adverse effects to low income and minority populations. The scrutiny aims to comply with a landmark executive order by President Bill Clinton in 1994 to protect disadvantaged communities. Trump revoked the Clinton order last week.In addition, annual grants that FEMA awards through national competitions could face revision following the White House review. FEMAs largest grant program Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities plans to distribute $750 million this year for state and local projects that offer protection against natural disasters.FEMAs scoring system, developed under President Joe Biden, prioritizes projects that help disadvantaged communities based on demographics and environmental and health conditions.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.

January 28, 20256 min readAsteroid Bennu Is Packed with Lifes Building Blocks, New Studies ConfirmMaterial retrieved from the asteroid Bennu by NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows that all the basic building blocks of life were astonishingly widespread in the early solar systemBy Mike Zeitz edited by Lee BillingsA view of the OSIRIS-REx sample canister, containing material from asteroid Bennu, at NASAs Johnson Space Center. NASA/Alamy Live News via DigitaleyeThe deserts of Utah are notorious for supposed alien visitations, but a real extraterrestrial emissary that parachuted to a soft landing there in September 2023 is proving more impactful. Onboard the truck-tire-size capsule from space was invaluable cargo: more than 120 grams of pristine material from the solar systems early history. Three years earlier NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft had grabbed these samples from the surface of the asteroid Bennu for their fateful delivery to Earth. The hope was that the coal-black material would help reveal how the solar systemand with it, Earth and our planets lifeformed. Soon after the Bennu samples recovery, teams of scientists began to eagerly analyze them in highly specialized laboratories.The breathtaking preliminary results from that work, teased early last year, have now become more detailed and definitive, confirming the enormous scientific value of the samples. Two studies published on January 29, 2025, show that even in dark, cold regions of the early solar system, astonishingly diverse chemical processes gave rise to numerous building blocks of life.At that time, more than 4.5 billion years ago, countless celestial bodies orbiting the newborn sun repeatedly collided in a chaotic game of primordial billiards, at turns smashing on another to smithereens or clumping together into larger objects. Bennu was somewhere in the mixa rubble pile ejected from a larger celestial body that at some point fell victim to a massive impact. But signs of this nameless progenitor survived on Bennuraw material from the solar systems youth, preserved in the cold of space.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Bennus parent body apparently contained plenty of water, as described in a paper appearing in the journal Nature. Some of the water evaporated and left behind a salty brine. According to an accompanying paper published in Nature Astronomy, this brine contained thousands of organic compounds, including 14 of the 20 amino acids found in terrestrial organisms, as well as all the nucleotide bases that make up our DNA and RNA. This means that the basic molecules of life existed in our solar system practically from the start.Tim McCoy, co-lead author of the Nature study and a meteorite expert at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, was already involved in the initial analyses of the Bennu samples that began shortly after their arrival on Earth. Numerous minerals revealed in those first looks are now no longer so mysterious; they were clearly found to be residues of evaporated water deposits.The original celestial body from which Bennu came was probably not covered by oceans like Earth is, however. It was certainly a wet world, McCoy says, but it was probably more likely a ... muddy world than one that had oceans on or below its surface. According to McCoy, the water deposits were probably short-lived and only a few meters thick. That is not to say that this reduces their epochal implications: The discovery of clays, phosphates, salts and evidence for an ancient, sodium-rich brine show not only that the ingredients for the first steps toward life were present but also that a promising environment was there for such steps, McCoy says.How closely did the salty brine on Bennus parent body resemble the primordial soup that simmered on the young, watery Earth and perhaps cooked up the first terrestrial life? This was the question addressed by the Nature Astronomy study, co-led by Daniel Glavin, a NASA scientist and lead of OSIRIS-RExs organics analysis team, which includes some members from around the world. Searching for organic compounds in the sample material from Bennu, he and his colleagues found the majority of the amino acids and all the nucleotide bases necessary for life on Earth. Such compounds have been identified in meteorites that fell to our planet before, Glavin explains, but unlike those cases, the samples from Bennu were protected from terrestrial contamination and the infernal heat of a high-speed plunge through Earths atmosphere.According to some theories, the chemical precursors of early life on Earth were imported via asteroids rather than being home-brewed. Glavin sees the discovery of the organic molecules as strengthening these ideas. Indeed, he says, this conclusive proof that so many of lifes molecular building blocks were so widespread in the early solar system has increased the chances that life could have started elsewhere beyond Earth.Analyses of the precious OSIRIS-REx samples from Bennu are ongoing and use a wide variety of modern methods in laboratories around the world. One of these is the Schwiete Cosmochemistry Laboratory at Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany, which boasts a powerful transmission electron microscope (TEM) that can be used to examine the finest structures with great precision. It is the only TEM laboratory outside the U.S. to have received a small amount of the Bennu sample for this purpose. TEM is especially useful for studies involving water-rock interaction, as much of that information is recorded on the nanoscale, says Sheri Singerling, a researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt and a co-author of the Nature study. Even so, she emphasizes that her work only provides one piece of the puzzle: The more eyes we can have on these samples from researchers with different expertise, the better, Singerling says.Altogether, studies of the samples are sketching out a curious, still incomplete picture of Bennus mysterious parent body. Compared with the asteroid, which formed from many shattered fragments, its parent body was larger and more dense, Singerling concludes. When massive impacts blasted what would become Bennu into space, this parent body would have also lost volatile components such as liquids while presumably excavating some material from its depths. In Bennu, such debris apparently came together. When we look at Bennus surface and near-surface today, we could be looking at materials that formed well within the parent body, Singerling says.Bennu now orbits the sun at a distance close to that of Earths, but the original celestial body must have formed much farther out. But how far? Certain features that are common in meteorites, such as chondrules or calcium and aluminum-rich inclusions, are missing, Singerling explains. Such structures form at high temperatures, especially near the sun. This, as well as the isotopes and organic substances in Bennu, all point toward an outer solar system origin for its parent body, she adds. McCoy also locates Bennus origin in those far-flung frigid hinterlands. It would certainly have had to form where ice was stable, he says, so likely [at] the current position of Jupiter or beyond. The abundant presence of volatile ammonia in the samples is also further evidence of [Bennus origin] in the cold, outer regions of our solar system.Besides being so free of contaminants and so closely associated with a specific known source, the samples from Bennu are unusual in another important way, Singerling explains: We now have the results of two missions to primitive carbon-rich celestial bodies: Hayabusa2 to the asteroid Ryugu and OSIRIS-REx to Bennu, she says. The Japanese probe Hayabusa2 brought nearly 5.5 grams of asteroid material to Earth in 2020. Both of these missions samples are remarkably similar to each other and most closely resemble material found in meteorites called CI chondrites. These are exceedingly rare in meteorite collections on Earth, Singerling says, in part because CI chondrites are so delicate that they typically dont endure the fiery ride through Earths atmosphere. This tells us our collections are biased and that these types of samples are more common in space than what is retrieved on Earth, Singerling concludes. This, she and others say, is another reason why asteroid-sample-return missions are indispensable.And more surprises from OSIRIS-RExs haul may be in store. We are still at the very early stages of the analysis of the Bennu samples, Glavin says. His team is currently examining a much larger sample from the asteroid that weighs around six gramsenough material to discern other, as-yet-unseen organic molecules that may be present in smaller quantities, such as sugars, peptides and perhaps even nucleotides similar to [those in] DNA and RNA. Glavins goal is to get a more precise idea of how the organic molecules formed in Bennus parent body.On the one hand, such studies paint a more detailed picture of how the molecules so crucial for lifes genesis grew in the early solar system. On the other, they show where the right conditions for that growth existed. And it can already be said that such conditions seem to have occurred much more frequently than previously thought far beyond Earth. For McCoy, the biggest open question is therefore how this ancient brine compares with modern brines that exist today on icy bodies of the outer solar system, like Saturns moon Enceladus. In other words, are lifes building blocks still abundant in our planetary neighborhood, and have they sparked lifes second genesis under favorable conditions elsewhere in the solar system? That question wont be answered until we visit these places with instruments that can take samples, McCoy says.Scientists will be studying these small pieces from Bennu for many years to come, undoubtedly gaining further insights into the history of the solar systemand perhaps even of life itself. But it is equally clear that much will only be revealed with new missions to other celestial bodies. Every finding generates more questions, Singerling says. Thats the beauty of science and its never-ending search for answers.This article originally appeared in Spektrum der Wissenschaft and was reproduced with permission.