Issue 250

Have you ever looked at another person’s daily accomplishments and thought, “How do they do it”? By the time most are pouring a second cup of coffee in the morning, some super-achievers have gone for a 5-mile run, hit inbox zero, and nailed the rough draft of that report due next week. Oh, and they figured out the day’s Wordle, too. advertisement advertisement After more than a decade of writing and practicing productivity techniques, I’ve learned that these folks generally do know more about how to get more done. And you can adopt those practices, too. But, why would you? Getting more done in less time can mean that you have more free time to do the things you love with the people you love. Or, it can create space to fill with more work that could have a detrimental effect on your mental and physical health. I learned this the hard way last year. advertisement advertisement Don’t make the same mistakes. Instead, practice … [Read more...] about The ultimate guide to purposeful productivity (your mental health will thank you)

A bright red elevated walkway is the centerpiece of an innovative new development in Beijing. Winding half a mile and linking a series of gardens, parks, and outdoor recreation spaces, the red walkway is like an aerial park in a forest of buildings. But this bold new design isn’t a high-end resort or luxury condos. It’s public housing. advertisement advertisement MAD Architects , is a 12-tower mega-development providing modest, government-subsidized housing to about 4,000 families. According to architect Ma Yansong, who has designed large-scale museums and civic buildings across China and the U.S., the project is at once a critique of social housing in China and a model for how it can change. advertisement He told the city that if his firm were to submit a proposal for any new social housing, he wanted to make sure none of these problems were repeated. “The government was quite open, actually,” he says. advertisement … [Read more...] about ‘They looked like prisons’: How a new development brought humanity to China’s public housing

Even by Elon Musk’s exaggerated definition of weird, the past 24 hours or so have been more than a bit peculiar. advertisement advertisement On Tuesday alone, Musk stoked investor fears at an economic forum; both dissed cryptocurrency and pumped it up; swung the ax at his flagship company while the board and shareholders of the company he’s chasing voted on whether they wanted the deal to proceed; and is having to deal with at least two court filings. It is, by any typical measure, a completely bonkers series of events. Even for Musk, who has practically made a personal brand out of controversy. Here’s a quick recap of today’s revelations about the SpaceX CEO. advertisement He stirred up Twitter drama, just as the company’s board takes a vote Right before the Twitter board of directors unanimously recommended to shareholders that they approve Musk’s $44 billion purchase of the company, Musk laid out a series of … [Read more...] about Elon Musk’s wild 24 hours: Twitter deal setbacks, Dogecoin hype, and a Tesla employee lawsuit

Thousands of ageing solar panels sited throughout China could trigger an environmental crisis over the next two decades, according to industry experts. China has more solar power plants than any other country, operating roughly twice as many solar panels as the U.S. with no plans on how to dispose of the old panels that break down. “It will explode with full force in two or three decades and wreck the environment, if the estimate is correct,” Tian Min, general manager of a Chinese recycling company, told The South China Morning Post . “This is a huge amount of waste and they are not easy to recycle.” There could be 20 million metric tons of solar panel waste, or 2,000 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower, by 2050 according to Lu Fang, the secretary general of solar power at the China Renewable Energy Society. Solar panels use hazardous materials, like sulfuric acid and phosphine gas, in the manufacturing process that makes them hard to recycle. Solar panels also have … [Read more...] about Old Solar Panels Causing An Environmental Crisis In China

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A federal appeals court issued a temporary stay Friday blocking a nationwide ban on Juul Labs' electronic cigarette products, just a day after the Food and Drug Administration ordered Juul merchandise to be pulled off store shelves due to marketing concerns. Key Facts Juul argued in a court filing Friday that the FDA ban was unlawful, calling it an "arbitrary" ruling that has nothing to do with safety. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges who issued the stay Friday did not rule on the merits of Juul's argument, but determined the company could continue selling its products while the case proceeded in court. The FDA told Forbes the agency “does not comment on possible, pending or ongoing litigation.” Key Background The FDA claims Juul has not been able to prove its marketing meets FDA standards by failing to demonstrate that its products are safe. The federal agency has specifically … [Read more...] about Appeals Court Halts Ban On Juul Vaping Products—For Now

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A print Juul advertisement that ran in Vice Magazine in 2015 as part of the e-cigarette company'’s ... [+] launch campaign, “Vaporized.” Juul 'Vaporized' ad in 2015 via Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising Juul Labs, the maker of the most popular U.S. e-cigarette, is growing meteorically—on track to generate an estimated $1 billion in sales this year, up more than 300% from a year ago. However, its products haven’t only gained traction among smokers trying to wean themselves off cigarettes. They are also a hit with teenagers. What medical experts are calling a Juul-driven “youth nicotine epidemic” is gaining heightened attention from regulators like the Food and Drug Administration, which on Thursday said it is seeking a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and will sharply restrict the sales of fruity-flavored nicotine vaping cartridges. Juul, likely aware of the … [Read more...] about The Disturbing Focus Of Juul’s Early Marketing Campaigns

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Opened last October at the cusp of Paris’ first and second arrondissements, Hôtel Madame Rêve is one of the city’s latest luxury hotel openings. But despite how new it is, the 82-key hotel has already become one of the finest and most lauded properties in the French capital thanks to its stylish rooms and exceptional service. And as of a few months ago with the launch of Roof, it just got even better. Set on the hotel’s fourth floor, the rooftop terrace spans nearly 11,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 250 people, making it one of the largest of its kind in the city. At this garden oasis you’ll find cherry trees, potted plants, and herbs planted around the edge of the deck. To top it all off the bar is open nightly with a live DJ Tuesday through Saturday. Since opening it has become one of the hottest destinations for an alfresco evening in Paris, filled with well-dressed locals and visitors sipping on drinks, playing … [Read more...] about This Is The New, Must-Visit Rooftop Bar In Paris Right Now

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Colonel Scott “Manual” Mills has been tasked with managing the reactivation of the Air Force’s 65th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS), the first “red air” squadron completely equipped with F-35s. It’s a difficult job at any time but even more difficult now that the USAF has ended private “red air” aggressor support at Nellis Air Force Base. Nellis is home to the Air Force Weapons School , the USAF’s counterpart to the Navy’s Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, popularly known as TOPGUN. The base also hosts the world-renowned joint-service, international Red Flag and other air combat exercises. It’s the home of the Air Force’s F-16-flying 64th AGRS and other air combat training units, what the folks at Nellis call “Aggressor Nation.” Until the end of last month, Aggressor Nation was larger. The USAF squadrons which support the Weapons School and exercises as red air were augmented by aircraft and pilots from private … [Read more...] about The ‘Red Tax’: The Air Force’s Workaround for Fewer Aggressor Aircraft and Pilots at Nellis AFB

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Is there a pilot shortage, or not? Depending on who you ask, you can get different answers . Flights are getting cancelled due to a lack of pilots, and small cities are losing service as a result. Over time this problem will correct itself with changes in pay, new training, and perhaps regulatory reform. None of these solutions will fix this summer, however. With strong demand for air travel both domestically and internationally, the airline industry has a challenge to make this summer work. To address this near-term challenge, airlines have started to adopt some creative tactics. Not all of these may work, but they get to the heart of the matter - finding more pilots quickly. Here are some of the best ideas that are being tried: Use Higher Pay As An Incentive Incentives work, and often monetary incentives work the best. In order to keep pilots flying and maybe not jumping to a bigger airline, some airlines are offer … [Read more...] about Five Creative Ways Airlines Are Addressing The Pilot Shortage