• A number of US firms have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring viral-video app TikTok as its future in the US is threatened by the Trump administration, which has proposed a ban on the app. 
• Microsoft has been the frontrunner in talks to buy TikTok's US operations from Chinese parent company ByteDance to avoid the potential ban.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that TikTok approached Netflix to see if the streaming giant was interested in purchasing the app's US operations. Netflix "passed" on a deal, according to the Journal.
• Oracle and Twitter have also reportedly entered acquisition talks with TikTok, whose US operations are valued between $10 billion and $50 billion.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix is the latest company to be linked to TikTok as the company weighs selling its US operations in the face of Trump's threat to issue a nationwide ban.

TikTok approached Netflix to "gauge its interest in a deal" to acquire its US operations, the Wall Street Journal reports. However, the streaming giant reportedly passed on the invitation to get involved in a multi-billion deal with TikTok's parent company, ByteDance.

Netflix is just one of several tech firms that have been linked to TikTok acquisition talks in recent months, ever since the Trump administration first made known its intentions to force China-based ByteDance to sever its ties with TikTok in the US — or face a nationwide ban. The lofty pricetag for TikTok's US operations — estimated to be worth between $10 billion and $50 billion — means few American tech companies have the funds to afford the buy the viral app.

Rumors and speculation regarding the TikTok acquisition have floated several names as interested buyers, including Twitter, Alphabet, and Apple. Most recently, enterprise tech giant Oracle emerged as a potential buyer, and quickly attracted verbal support from Donald Trump. 

As for Netflix, CNBC's Alex Sherman argues TikTok would bring an advertising-revenue-based platform into its folds, allowing the streaming service to continue offering ad-free entertainment. Although Netflix CEO Reed Hastings famously said the company's biggest competition in 2017 was sleep, he called out TikTok this year as a competitor in "internet entertainment."

Still, the only company to publicly note interest in pursuing the acquisition, is Microsoft. The company confirmed in early August it had entered discussions with ByteDance to acquire TikTok's operations in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. It was recently revealed Microsoft and ByteDance signed a "nonbinding letter of intent" at the end of July, a significant step in the acquisition process indicating that talks between the two companies were advanced.

Yet it's unclear where the negotiations currently stand, as TikTok challenges the Trump administration's attempts to ban the app in the US. Since late July, Trump has issued two separate executive orders aimed at TikTok, and has set a mid-November deadline for ByteDance to sell of the app's US operations.

TikTok filed a lawsuit Monday against the US government challenging the Trump administration's actions. The lawsuit focuses on Trump's August 6 executive order, which bars "any transactions" between ByteDance and American citizens. TikTok is arguing the US government breached its right to "due process" by failing to notify the company ahead of the executive order, as well as accusing the administration of lacking evidence to support its claims the Chinese government accesses the data of TikTok's American users.

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• According to experts, Airbnb can be safer than hotels during the novel coronavirus because private vacation rentals eliminate most in-person interactions.
• However, travelers might have continued concerns about safety considering everything from kitchen utensils to bed linens were used by previous guests.
• In response, Airbnb rolled out the Enhanced Cleaning Initiative, which is now available for guests to review when booking a home.
• Here's how to identify Airbnb listings that adhere (or don't) to the new standards, plus extra precautions that can help avoid mitigate risk.
• Read more: Everything to know about vacation rentals, COVID-19 safety, and the best places in the US

In response to the global pandemic, hospitality businesses of all kinds scrambled to initiate and publicize new cleaning policies that could reassure — and lure — would-be travelers. 

For the popular home rental platform Airbnb, that meant an expansive, multi-tier Enhanced Cleaning Initiative that overhauled host cleaning protocols, and promised to make participating listings easily searchable and transparent for concerned travelers.

The new policies should help quell the fears of on-the-fence travelers, who may book easier knowing that infectious disease experts generally consider private home rentals such as Airbnb to be a safe bet (safer than hotels, in fact). This is because, in a private vacation rental, there is generally less direct person-to-person contact if you are booking the entire home. Reducing person-to-person interactions is key to reducing risk since the virus is known to spread by people, via respiratory droplets.

Additionally, the World Travel and Tourism Council released new cleaning standards to aid and encourage the reopening of the sector and gave Airbnb its stamp of approval for meeting their guidelines.

Keep in mind that without a vaccine, there is no guarantee of safety and we always recommend following guidelines from the CDC and WHO, as well as local and state policies. You should also assess your own level of risk before booking, and consider whether you're traveling from or to a hotspot, so as not to increase the rate of infection.

However, if you are looking to make future travel plans, considering a vacation rental is a wise option, especially if it can deliver enhanced cleaning measures. We broke down Airbnb's new policies to help identify whether a property participates in the new cleaning initiative, and also share extra precautions you can take for your own added safety and peace of mind.

What are Airbnb's new cleaning policies?

Airbnb's new cleaning policy, known as Airbnb Enhanced Clean, includes multiple prongs that travelers should be able to differentiate. 

Specifically, Airbnb hosts now have three choices when listing their homes under the new initiative, which is informed by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and was created in collaboration with former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and other health and hospitality experts.

The first option is the most stringent, in which hosts enroll and participate in a learning and certification program known as the Cleaning Protocol.

The Cleaning Protocol mandates guidelines for hosts such as the use of personal protective equipment including masks and gloves for hosts or cleaners, and also requires the exclusive use of disinfectants that have been approved by regulatory authorities.

Hosts who participate in this program are required to maintain a 24-waiting period after a guest checks out before entering to clean a listing. A property may not be flipped and offered to a new guest with a reservation on the same day that the previous guest checked out. This is meant as a way to ensure any airborne particles have settled out of the air, although experts believe this happens within a few hours or much less. 

The next option for hosts is a program called Booking Buffer, which is less rigorous on the cleaning side but requires a longer time buffer between guests. Hosts not enrolling in the Cleaning Protocol, because they can't or won't adapt to its stringent requirements, may instead opt into this tier that enforces a longer vacancy period between stays. Reservations will be automatically blocked during that timeframe, which is currently set at 72 hours. With Booking Buffer, listings must still remain vacant for 24 hours after a guest leaves before a cleaning team or host can enter, and then another 48 hours must pass before a new guest's arrival.

Finally, as a third option, hosts can opt to participate in neither of these new standards and instead continue their existing procedures. Their listings will reflect that choice.

How do I know if an Airbnb listing participates in the new cleaning policies?

Hosts can enroll in the Enhanced Clean program for their listings through their accounts.

There, they'll have to review the guidelines, complete a quiz, and agree to an attestation. Then, their listings will populate with a tag that says "Enhanced Clean" to identify the distinction.

At this time, there isn't a way for travelers to filter a search to include only listings with particular badges. Instead, when would-be travelers pull up a potentially interesting listing, the host's participation — or not — in the program will be identifiable by way of a clear label up top.

Each badge identifies the listing's enrolled program, "Enhanced Clean" or "72-hour minimum between reservations" to indicate the Booking Buffer.

If a host has chosen not to participate in either program, no badge will appear on the listing.

So, if you only want to stay in a participating home, make sure to check the section that appears at the top of the listing.

What are Airbnb's cleaning fees?

If you're typically a hotel-style traveler with a new interest in Airbnb during the pandemic, you might be surprised by the price when it comes time to finalize your booking.

That's because, unlike hotels, Airbnbs charge a separate cleaning fee and it can be quite steep. Cleaning fees are not set at any certain price. In fact, hosts determine their own cleaning fees, which may range significantly from $30 to $250 per stay, sometimes more, sometimes less. "Cleaning fees are entirely up to the hosts and they vary widely," according to an Airbnb spokesperson. 

Cleaning fees are also combined with other charges beyond the nightly rate, such as booking fees, service fees, and taxes. These add-ons can easily tack hundreds of dollars onto an otherwise seemingly affordable nightly price.

For reference, the service fee is typically under 14.2 percent of the booking subtotal — that's the nightly rate plus cleaning fee and additional guest fee (if applicable), but excluding Airbnb fees and taxes. This fee varies, but platform users will see it itemized before making their purchase.

For example, my family recently booked a Palm Springs Airbnb home that cost about $300 per night for a three-night stay, which I also reviewed.

Our final booking broke down like this: $295 nightly for three nights ($885), plus $185 cleaning fee, plus $151 service fee, plus $123 occupancy and taxes. Grand total: $1,344.

That's much more than the approximately $900 to $,1000 final price I initially expected.

What extra precautions should I take when traveling?

It's likely that the novel coronavirus is here to stay into the foreseeable future. So even if you weren't a typical booker of Airbnb rentals, you might find yourself choosing this relatively safer style of lodging as you factor the pandemic into your plans. In which case, you'll want to get used to some additional practices for added safety and peace of mind.

Experts say that while there is low risk from virus transmission through inanimate objects, you can resolve any lingering concerns with spot cleaning upon arrival.

"If you want to be safe, run utensils and dishware through the dishwasher when you get there and that should take care of that," says Dr. Thomas Russo, chief of the division of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo. You can do this as well for laundering bed linens and towels, "so you have control of what you want to be washed and cleaned." 

Focus, he says, on disinfecting flat surfaces, such as running a Clorox wipe over kitchen countertops. You might also spot disinfect high-touch surfaces such as phones, TV remotes, door handles, bathroom faucets, and toilet handles, he adds.

But even with this professional reassurance from the medical community and the additional spot cleaning on arrival, you might not enjoy your stay in a rented home if you still feel … icky.

If that's the case, consider packing and bringing some of the more intimate items needed for your stay from home, such as bedsheets and pillows.

Of course, that also means you're now cleaning and stocking the home for which you already paid lofty cleaning and service fees.

Then again, easy sleeping easy on vacation is pretty priceless.

For more reporting on safe travel, click on a link below to jump directly to related coverage:

• Is travel safe? We interviewed experts on risks associated with flying, booking hotels or Airbnbs, renting cars, and more, plus ideas on safe vacations during COVID-19
• Is it safe to stay in a hotel right now? An infectious disease doctor, a cleaning expert, and hotel reps all share what you should know before you check-in.
• Are Airbnbs safe? We spoke to experts, a company representative, and an Airbnb host to share everything you should know before booking someone's home.
• Which is safer: Airbnb or hotels? Here's what doctors say
• Everything you need to know about how Airbnb's Extenuating Circumstances cancellation policy for COVID-19 works — including some key warnings for new bookings
• Staying in a hotel will be very different post-pandemic — here are new safety and cleaning plans and precautions being implemented by every major hotel brand
• Are rental cars safe to drive right now? We talked to 3 leading experts to find out.
• Is flying safe right now? Experts break down the risks associated with boarding a flight during COVID-19.
• Is it safe to travel by train during a pandemic? Doctors and cleaning experts weigh in, plus details on new protocols from Amtrak to minimize risks.

• The CDC offered companies new guidance on how to protect employees from violence related to COVID-19 safety policies, such as mask orders and social distancing requirements. 
• The CDC suggested installing security equipment, such as panic buttons, and identifying a safe room where workers can avoid violent customers. 
• In recent months, employees have faced harassment and assault from customers who have refused to social distance, wear face coverings, and follow other safety measures. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The threat of anti-mask violence has swelled to a point where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising companies on how to keep employees safe. 

This week, the CDC released new guidance on how retailers and restaurants can prevent workplace violence as employees attempt to enforce new COVID-19 safety policies. In recent months, employees have faced harassment and assault from customers who have refused to social distance, wear face coverings, and follow other safety measures. 

Some of the CDC's preventative solutions include putting up signs about mask requirements and offering services that allow customers to minimize their contact with others, such as curbside pickup and delivery.

If staffing permits, the CDC advised that two employees should work as a team to encourage customers to follow COVID-19 policies, such as wearing a face mask. The CDC also suggested installing security equipment — such as panic buttons and cameras — and identifying a safe area for employees to go to if they are in danger, such as "a room that locks from the inside, has a second exit route, and has a phone or silent alarm." 

The CDC advised employees against arguing with customers if they make threats or become violent. Further, the guidance advised against attempting "to force anyone who appears upset or violent to follow COVID-19 prevention policies." 

Instead, employees are advised to be aware of warning signs, such as customers swearing, pacing, and clenching their fists. If a customer makes threats or becomes violent, workers should go to a safe area.

Many major companies, including Walmart, Starbucks, and McDonald's, have rolled out national mask policies in recent months. But, even before retailers released their own policies, many employees were tasked with enforcing local government orders around social distancing and face coverings. 

Anti-mask customers have clashed with employees at a number of stores around the US, including viral confrontations at Costco and Target. Some restaurants decided to re-close their dining rooms after staff faced harassment from customers who refused to wear masks. Employees at Waffle House, McDonald's, and Chili's have been attacked in recent months after attempting to enforce COVID-19 related safety measures. 

"Threats and assaults can happen in any workplace, but may be more likely to occur in retail, services (e.g., restaurants), and other customer- or client-based businesses," the CDC said this week in its recently released guidance. 

• GOP convention speaker and congressional candidate Burgess Owens plagiarized large sections of his book, left-leaning watchdog Media Matters reported Tuesday.
• Owens, a far-right activist and former National Football League player, stole material from sources including Wikipedia, History.com, Townhall, National Review, American Thinker, and the Boston Globe, according to Media Matters. 
• In one instance, Owens plagiarized eight consecutive paragraphs, Media Matters writer Eric Hananoki reported. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Republican convention speaker and GOP congressional candidate Burgess Owens plagiarized large sections of his book, "Why I Stand: From Freedom to the Killing Fields of Socialism," left-leaning watchdog Media Matters reported Tuesday.

Owens, a far-right activist and former National Football League player, reportedly stole entire paragraphs from sources including Wikipedia, History.com and publications like Townhall, National Review, American Thinker, and the Boston Globe, among several others. In one instance, Owens plagiarized eight consecutive paragraphs, Media Matters writer Eric Hananoki reported. 

In another instance, Media Matters reports Owens lifted 148 words almost entirely verbatim from Wikipedia on the definition of "gangsta rap." 

The topics featured in Owens' plagiarized segments include the history of Reconstruction, school vouchers, and subsidized housing in Chicago. In the 2018 book, which Owens has promoted while running for the US House in Utah, Owens argues that Democrats are Marxists and aggressively attacks a host of Black Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who died last month. 

Owens, who is running to defeat Democratic incumbent Rep. Ben McAdams in Utah's 4th congressional district, is scheduled to speak at the RNC on Wednesday night.

The 69-year-old former professional athlete faced criticism recently for appearing on a far-right YouTube show that supports the QAnon conspiracy theory. 

The Trump campaign didn't respond immediately to Business Insider's request for comment. 

• You can see how fast your internet is by running a test that's provided by Google, though your internet speed will vary based on several factors.
• This Google test will measure your internet speed in megabits per second, or Mbps — the FCC's standard for fast internet is 25 Mbps for downloads.
• Your connection's "Latency," which is measured in milliseconds, will be measured as well.
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

If you're looking to change your internet provider, or are considering increasing your internet speed, it's always a good idea to know where you currently stand. That way, you'll be able to better understand what you want and need from a new internet plan.

Google offers a simple and fast tool for doing this, and all you have to do is complete a simple Google search to start. 

The test measures your speed by measuring the amount of data that can move through your internet connection. It takes about 30 seconds to complete, and your results are given in terms of megabits per second, or Mbps. The higher your Mbps count, the better.

For reference, the FCC's standard for a fast internet connection is at least 25 Mbps for downloads, and 3 Mbps for uploads. This test can measure connections of up to 700 Mbps.

You may also see a "Latency" reading. This is a measure of how quickly you get a response from your server, and is given in milliseconds, or ms. Here, the lower your number, the better.

Here's how to test how fast your internet speed is.

How to use Google's internet speed test

Before you run the test, you should know that doing so requires sharing your IP address with M-Lab, which Google has partnered with to produce the test.

1. Go to Google and search for "internet speed test."

2. At the top of the search results will be a box labeled "Internet speed test." Click the blue "Run Speed Test" button at the bottom of this box.

3. A new pop-up will appear with a speedometer, like the type you'd see in a car. The test will begin measuring your download speed, followed by your upload speed. You don't have to do anything.

4. Once the test is finished, your results will be displayed.

Note that when you take this test, your IP address will be shared with Google and M-Lab, the company that runs this test. There's no real security threat here — both companies keep their data incredibly secure, and even if someone were to find your IP address, there's nearly no chance that they could use it in a malicious way.

Also keep in mind that your internet speed is constantly changing, depending on how close you are to your router, how many devices are on the network, and how much data you're currently using.

Taking the test while you're alone in your house will give you higher results than taking the test while five people stream Netflix, for example.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• 'Why isn't my internet working?': How to identify why you can't connect to the internet and troubleshoot accordingly

• How to boost your internet speed at home in 8 ways, and make sure you're not being overcharged for low speeds

• 'Why is my Roku not connecting to the internet?': How to troubleshoot your Roku if it won't connect to the internet

• How to change your Wi-Fi network in the Control Center on an iPhone with iOS 13

• How to connect to a Wi-Fi network on your Android phone or tablet, and disconnect when you're done

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• Learning a new topic, whether for a career move or an academic test, is no small feat. 
• The free and popular Coursera class "Learning How to Learn" makes the process easier and teaches students about the science of learning. 
• By understanding the underpinnings of how your brain works, processes information, and builds memory, you can successfully learn any subject you want. 
• Read more: Yale's most popular class ever is available free online — and the topic is how to be happier in your daily life

If you want to learn it, chances are you can find it online.

Taken by more than 1.8 million students from 200 countries, one of the most popular online classes from Coursera doesn't teach skills like how to program and analyze data with Python or the basics of intellectual property law and policy.

Instead, the Coursera class called "Learning How to Learn" invites students of all ages and educational backgrounds to pause before diving into those other classes. It wants to reframe your entire thinking about the process of learning and set you up with the most effective learning techniques, so you can master literally any topic. 

This 2018 best-selling class is offered by McMaster University and UC San Diego, and taught by Dr. Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor at Oakland University, and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski, the computational neurobiology director at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

With videos, exercises, and bonus materials, it takes about 12 hours to complete and has flexible deadlines so you can make it work with your schedule. Those 12 hours offer a toolbox of actionable strategies and a lifelong understanding of how to take on topics that can help you complete your degree, make a major career move, or simply enjoy learning for the sake of learning.

When people have trouble mastering a new subject, they often attribute their frustration and difficulties to their own intelligence or the subject matter itself. "I'm just not smart enough or cut out for chemistry (or finance or literature)," you've probably caught yourself thinking as you struggled through a class.  

What's more possible is just that you haven't been properly trained on how to learn. This class introduces you to the two learning modes the brain uses and how it processes information. Other topics include illusions of learning, memory techniques, dealing with procrastination, and best practices for mastering tough subjects. By learning about the science of learning, you can apply the approaches to become better at anything, be it art, math, science, languages, or sports. 

The class is organized by week, with each week covering a set of different topics. The videos, which can be downloaded, include scripts, interactive transcripts, and subtitles.

There are also optional further readings and interviews if you want to dig deeper into each week's topics, as well as a discussion forum to engage with your fellow learners. And if you're still itching to immerse yourself more in all things related to learning, the instructors send out a weekly newsletter of recommended books, videos, articles, and learning resources. 

Like most of Coursera's offerings, "Learning How to Learn" is completely free to audit. You can access all the materials, but you won't receive a grade. To officially complete the course and receive a grade and Course Certificate, you'll have to purchase it for $49. 

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• Psychology and the Good Life, led by Professor Laurie Santos, became Yale's most popular on-campus course in its 317-year history in 2018. 
• Santos adapted the course for Coursera and the online equivalent, The Science of Well-Being, trended wildly in the early days of the pandemic and social distancing — 2.2 million people enrolled online. 
• To understand why The Science of Well-Being is resonating so strongly, and how it may help improve our daily lives now, I spoke to Professor Santos.
• Below, she shares her insights plus tips for improving mental well-being during a pandemic.  
• Read more: Airbnb is offering online experiences via Zoom video calls. I tried 2 of them and would readily sign up for more — here's why

As 2.9 billion people — more than the global population during World War II — hunkered down to shelter in place in response to the novel coronavirus in late March, Yale professor Laurie Santos' online course, The Science of Well-Being, experienced an explosion in enrollment.

The class, offered by Yale on Coursera, tackles the topic of the psychology of personal happiness and drew 2.2 million people — similar to the population of Houston, Texas — seemingly overnight.

The overwhelming success in quarantine wasn't exactly unprecedented. When Santos offered an on-campus version in 2018, Psychology and the Good Life, it became the most popular course in the university's 317-year history. In order to staff it, the university had to pull fellows from its School of Public Health and the Law School. 

The online offering combines positive psychology with a behavioral science backbone leaving students with better habits and more accurate notions of happiness. As it turns out, real happiness requires work. While all roads may lead to Rome, not all of the brain's default responses lead to happiness. Years ago, I took The Science of Well-Being on Coursera and reported on my experience here.

To get a professional's take on happiness in the era of COVID-19, and to better understand why this course is resonating so deeply, I caught up with Professor Laurie Santos, socially distanced, on the phone. Here's what she had to say on how to lead a happier life right now.

Professor Laurie Santos' advice on how to feel happier right now:

Focus on the things that made you feel happy before quarantine, and find ways to experience them in whatever state of shutdown you're currently facing. 

For example, if you previously turned to exercise as part of a daily routine for overall wellness, don't stop those practices during a pandemic. Just alter them.

"If you've fallen out of your normal exercise routine, find ways to do it. There's so much free content online. Even if you can't get to your local gym, or even if you're in the position where you can't even go for a walk or a jog outside, you can use virtual content to get a workout in that way."

Read more: The best free virtual workouts to do at home

Pay attention to what makes you feel good — and note if your old feel-good habits no longer do the trick. 

Rather than strictly avoiding activities, Santos recommends being mindful about how you feel while doing something and discerning about how you spend your leisure time.

"We're in a fragile, emotional state right now, generally," Santos said. "And the things that worked before might feel a little different … Does it really feel good to sit there and watch Netflix? Does it really feel good to be on social media as much as before?" 

Ask yourself in the moment how a particular activity really feels.

I asked Santos one of those no-stupid-questions questions: How do I really tell if an activity is making me happier? 

"One of the interesting things about our emotions is [that] we usually know how they feel, but they're often buried because we don't take time to be mindful or be present with how things are feeling. Everyone struggles with this because mindfulness takes a little bit of work."

After some time on Twitter, Santos will say to herself: "Okay, that was 20 minutes. How did that 20 minutes feel?"

After watching reruns again and again, you can do the same. Santos suggests asking yourself: "How did this make me feel? Am I more energized? Do I feel like I've wasted some time productively or do I feel gross or apathetic?"

Think about mental health as a diet. Some activities are junk food, and sometimes, your mind will need to eat a salad.

Santos also talked about mental health using the analogy of a well-balanced diet, with a cheesy Netflix series as the hot fudge sundae treat.

"It might be that we need [it sometimes], but that may not be the only nutrition we need to take in," she said. "Sometimes the things that feel really easy — the quick social media check —  may not be the most nutritious. Sometimes we need to put work into things that will ultimately make us feel better in the end [like a Zoom call with friends]."

Some days you're going to need your junk reality television du jour. But, you should also plan to balance it with quality conversations with friends or exercise. 

Recognize that your brain's paths of least resistance don't necessarily lead to happiness. 

We often look to things that are easy — resting, watching TV, scrolling through social media — when really, the things that fulfill us and improve our happiness take a little bit of work.

According to Santos, what we crave diverges from what we actually like. For example, you may desire a session of TV, but in the end, be left thinking "I didn't even really like that, that much." And, you may not initially crave exercise, but find yourself post-workout thinking "Why don't I do this more?"

Read more: The best free virtual workouts to do at home

Write down ideas for how you'd ideally spend random small pockets of free time in a day.

Our lives are full of what Harvard Business School professor Ashley Williams refers to as "time confetti" — little specks of five or 10 minutes broken up throughout the day.

What do we do with our pockets of 10 minutes in between meetings, classes, and errands? Instead of calling a friend, many of us scroll through Facebook or Instagram. 

"If I spent that 10 minutes doing a quick gratitude meditation, or if I spent it running up and down my stairs or even just taking a pause to look outside my window, that would actually probably be better than Facebook, but it takes a little work." Santos explained. "One strategy for [using time confetti] is to scribble down the things that you really want to do, so that if you get a break, you can say, 'Oh, let me do this instead.'"

Challenging activities such as learning a new language, and activities that make you feel present, like meditation, are most likely to be enjoyable.

Even though the startup costs for activities like learning a new language can be higher than lounging on the couch, they're worth it, even if our brains predict otherwise.

"Challenging activities give us what positive psychologists call flow," Santos explained. "[Flow] is the state where we're feeling really present and involved and it's kind of hard, but doable. It's not so easy that it's boring. And research suggests that flow states feel really good. And they make time pass in an enjoyable but quick way; you're really present, and there's lots of research suggesting that anytime we do things where we're more present, we enjoy that activity more."

"When we're at work, we're often like, 'Oh, I wish I was home because I could sit around and watch Netflix.' But, actually, if you ping most people at work, they're feeling challenged and time is going by, right? Whereas if you ping [someone] in the middle of a show, you often do feel like, "I'm just sitting here." 

She went on to say, "Leisure feels better when we're a little challenged — when we're doing something that's a little hard. I think seeing people who are learning how to bake something new or trying to learn a new language or something that's a little bit more active — even playing games over Zoom with friends — I think those things can sometimes feel better than the really inactive stuff, even though the startup cost is higher."

Read more: 15 comforting meals Business Insider editors and reporters are cooking at home — plus the cookware and tools we use to make them perfect

Read more: The best cheap or free online resources to learn a new language

Read more: Airbnb is offering online experiences via Zoom video calls. I tried 2 of them and would readily sign up for more — here's why

The bottom line

To improve your mental well-being and overall happiness, you may want to prioritize social connection (by Zoom, phone call, etc.) and challenging and nutritious activities (exercise, learning a new language or recipe, meditating). And try to find a way to adapt the activities that made you happy before the pandemic, to the way you must live right now. 

For more on how to increase your own well-being, you can take Santos' course online for free and/or listen to her podcast, "The Happiness Lab".

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• If you struggle with leash-pulling, the Balance Harness can transform walks with your dog from stressful to relaxed.
• The harness fits snugly, which minimizes the problematic chafing and pulling that can occur with other no-pull harnesses.
• It comes in eight colors, five sizes, and is easy to adjust and put on.
• Dog trainers and owners, alike, have found the Balance so effective for leash-pulling that we named it the top pick in our guide to the best no-pull dog harnesses.
• For dogs that don't pull on the leash, check out the best dog harnesses for dogs of all sizes or with different needs.

Bowie was strong. Just past puppyhood and already 60 pounds, he had the curiosity and hyperactivity of an adolescent in the body of an adult German shepherd. The old joke "Who's walking who?" was written for Bowie. Walks were miserable his owners told me on the phone when they called to inquire about private dog training. He pulled, he darted, he lunged; one of them had already hurt their elbow trying to walk him.  

I had only one question for them: What type of harness are you using?

Pulling on leash is one of the biggest training struggles many people will go through with their dogs. There are plenty of science-based training techniques to teach a dog to walk nicely on leash, but those take time to work. For a faster solution, you need the right equipment. And thanks to a variety of no-pull harnesses now on the market, you never have to subject your dog to the dangers of prong or choke collars.

But not every no-pull dog harness is created equal. My favorite, the Balance Harness from Blue-9 Pet Products, not only fits well and is easy to use, but it can also make a big difference in the quality of your walks.

How the Balance Harness works for dogs that pull on the leash

I came prepared to meet Bowie with the Balance Harness. Dog trainers like myself seem to almost universally favor this nylon harness in large part due to the vast improvements in fit it has over older no-pull harnesses. Products like the Sense-ation Harness or the Easy Walk, which clip to the leash at the front of the chest, often hang too low, impeding a dog's full range of motion. Depending on a dog's body shape, the design of these harnesses can potentially result in chafing under the armpits and stress on muscles and tendons in the forelimbs.

The Balance Harness, though, fits snugly, with a band that clips around the neck, a band that clips around the chest, and two straps that hold both in place, one under the chest and one along the spine. Contrasting colors make putting it on correctly every time a cinch, and there are six different places on the harness to make adjustments for wide necks, barrel chests, and chunky bellies. The website has a handy fit chart for choosing which of the five sizes will work best for your pup. 

The magic that stops dogs from pulling while wearing this harness is in the sturdy D-ring where the leash clips at the front of the chest (there is a second D-ring at the spine to use with dogs that do not pull or to use with a double-ended training leash that clips to both rings). 

I slipped Bowie's new bright orange harness over his head — the Balance comes in eight colors including a camo print — and adjusted each strap tight enough to allow only two fingers to fit between the harness and Bowie's body. I clipped the leash to his chest, and we headed out for a walk.

Bowie's owners quickly saw how the harness worked. With his previous harness, the leash connected at Bowie's spine. When he got moving, he just dragged them along like a Husky pulling a sled. Now when Bowie tried to pull ahead, the tension of the leash in front of his body caused him to turn. In order to keep walking straight, he had to slow down. The harness stayed in place as we walked and didn't appear to impede the movement of his front legs.

Just like that, problem solved. Bowie's walks immediately went from stressful to relaxed. 

What can't this no-pull harness do?

The Balance Harness isn't perfect. It's a management tool, but it's not actually teaching your dog how to walk nicely on leash. Unless you do some walking training with your dog, you'll have to continue to use the harness to prevent them from pulling. 

While the harness worked for Bowie, it, unfortunately, isn't magical for every dog. For the smallest of pups, it is a lot of material, and the straps are more likely to ride up under the armpits and around the neck. The majority of people who try this harness with their dog will find it extremely helpful, but there will always be some dogs for whom it doesn't have much of an impact.

If your dog's walking skills don't get a boost from the Balance, consider a head halter like the PetSafe Gentle Leader Headcollar (also included in our guide to the best no-pull harnesses) and/or upping your loose-leash walking training.

The bottom line

If you don't have a dog that pulls on leash, the Balance Harness is attractive, easy to use, and comes in a number of colors and sizes for a somewhat pricey $49.95. If you do have a dog that pulls on the leash, it's worth its weight in gold by transforming your walks from stressful to relaxed without the fit problems inherent to some other no-pull harnesses.

Pros: Available in five sizes and eight colors, accommodates double-ended leash, sturdy hardware, easy to put on correctly, fits well on a wide variety of body shapes and sizes

Cons: On very small dogs, the harness may ride up under the armpits and around the neck

• NASA said Tuesday that astronaut Jeanette Epps will launch aboard Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner spaceship in 2021.
• Epps has not yet flown to space, but the Starliner-1 mission could make her the first Black person to live and work aboard the International Space Station for months at a time.
• NASA previously selected Epps for a 2018 flight, but the agency abruptly removed her from that mission just months ahead of its launch.
• Epps is one of 16 active female astronauts who may one day land on the moon with NASA's Artemis program.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps may finally be traveling to space.

The agency said Tuesday that it has assigned the 49-year-old rookie astronaut to Boeing's Starliner-1 mission, slated to launch sometime in 2021.

The mission is actually the second that NASA picked Epps to fly. But she never made the first one, a Russian Soyuz flight that lifted off in June 2018, because the agency abruptly bumped her from the crew about five months ahead of launch.

"I don't know where the decision came from and how it was made, in detail, or at what level," Epps said during a 2018 conference, but noted it was not medically related. "There were Russians, several of them, who defended me in the sense that it's not safe to really remove someone from a crew that has trained together for years."

NASA did not immediately reply to a request for comment on its past decision. Despite the disappointing turn of events, Epps kept her composure over the years.

"Sometimes things don't go the way that you planned," she told "Business Insider Today" in 2019. "But I'm still in the astronaut corps." 

With her fresh assignment, Epps, 49, is once again poised to make history. The mission is to scheduled to be the first operational flight of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, which should follow an uncrewed launch (possibly later this year) and a crewed flight test in 2021.

Epps may become the first Black person to live and work aboard the ISS

NASA selected Epps, an aerospace engineer, to be an astronaut in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a technical intelligence officer for seven years at the Central Intelligence Agency, according to her biography, and before then as a research scientist at Ford Motor Company.

The Starliner-1 mission's destination is the International Space Station, a facility that orbits 250 miles above Earth, and which people have inhabited continuously for 20 years. During her planned six-month stay there, Epps may become the first Black astronaut to live and work aboard the $150 billion, football field-size laboratory (and not return after a brief visit).

Epps hasn't yet flown to space. She will join fellow spaceflight rookie John Cassada and veteran Sunita Williams. Williams, the Starliner-1 mission's commander, has worked with Boeing and SpaceX over the past six years on the design and functionality of their new spaceships through NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Starliner launched and landed on its first uncrewed mission, called Orbital Flight Test, in December 2019. However, the spacecraft experienced two "high visibility close calls" that might have resulted in the loss of the spacecraft, NASA said earlier this year.

NASA appears unfazed by a small air leak aboard the ISS, which a three-person crew is currently helping root out and repair. The agency plans to launch its next commercial crewed mission, called Crew-1 — SpaceX's own first operational flight of its commercial spaceship, called Crew Dragon — toward the space station as soon as October 23. (SpaceX successfully flew and returned its first astronaut crew earlier this year.)

The Starliner-1 mission could prove especially important to Epps' career, in that she is one of 16 active female astronauts in NASA's corps who may return humans to the moon. Jim Bridenstine, the agency's administrator, has repeatedly said NASA's Artemis program will fly the first woman and the next man to the lunar surface in 2024.

"Business Insider Today" asked Epps about that possibility during a 2019 interview.

"It's mind-blowing to think about being the first [woman] to step on this object that you see in the night sky," she said. "I would hope that my mission would inspire the next generation of women, of all engineers and all scientists to kind of propel us forward, even beyond Mars."

• In a world ravaged by fire, disease, and a series of seemingly never-ending apocalypses, Domino's emerges from the flames (of its pizza oven) with two new pizzas.
• Four brave Business Insider reporters tried the pizza chain's new cheeseburger pizza and chicken taco pizza.
• Although we went in very skeptical, we were actually impressed by the new pizzas' heartiness and flavor balance.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Domino's is unafraid to ask the big questions: What is pizza? Is it a cheeseburger? Is it a taco? Why can't it be both?

On Monday, the pizza chain launched two new specialty pizzas: the chicken taco pizza and the cheeseburger pizza. 

If Taco Bell, Burger King, and Domino's were in a polyamorous relationship, these pizzas would be their two unholy Frankenstein's monster lovechildren. 

Four brave-hearted retail reporters met up at an undisclosed park in Brooklyn to feast together and reminisce about the times before the pandemic. With the apocalypse already in full swing, we thought, "eh, what's the worst that could happen?" 

Our pizzas arrived via contactless delivery and assumed their place at the center of our coven in the grass.

The chicken taco pizza is made with taco seasoning, grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, provolone, cheddar, and American cheese.

The cheeseburger pizza is made with ground beef, onions, tomatoes, provolone, cheddar, and American cheese on ketchup and mustard sauce.

We can only speculate as to what went on in the head of the human who created this monstrosity. We can only imagine just how high the chef was when he or she thought, "but what if pizza was also Taco Bell?"

The cheeseburger pizza is the taco pizza's more conventional twin. As American as pizza pie, it looked like someone had stuck a burger in a blender and tossed its mangled bits onto a disc of dough.

Every hero's journey begins with a crossing of the threshold, a plunge into the unknown, a dive into the deepest darkness.

In our case, that was the cheeseburger pizza.

"I'm disturbed to say that it works for me," remarked senior reporter Áine Cain, adding that she's usually a boring plain cheese lady. Cain liked the balance of flavors, caveating that it's not for people who don't like burgers.

Correspondent Kate Taylor was also impressed. "I shouldn't like this, but somehow I do. I wanna say it doesn't taste like cheeseburger, but it does."

"It feels like stoner food," Taylor added. "What is this mad beast?!?!?"

All tasters were appalled yet enthralled by the ketchup-mustard sauce. "Did they spit in God's eye?" Cain asked, before grabbing another slice.

Our journey into darkness continued with the chicken taco pizza. Cain remarked that this was definitely stoner food.

Reporter Bethany Biron told Business Insider, "I find this delightful. It tastes like a blend of Taco Bell and Dominos in a wonderful way. I would order this."

After a bite, Taylor ruminated on the nature of "tacos." "My mom would make something like taco pie where it's not like any good taco you've had, but it's actually very good," Taylor said, adding that she liked the cheeseburger better.

"It's like white people Taco Tuesday," Cain said, revealing that she liked the taco even more than the cheeseburger pizza.

I preferred the cheeseburger pizza to the taco pizza. The latter does kind of taste like Taco Bell, but the chicken is gross and plasticky.

It seemed we were a house divided between the two pizzas. But unlike some divided houses, we were able to get along and make merry anyway, with the help of some wine, solo cups, and lots of bug spray.

The ruling: Domino's new cheeseburger and chicken taco pizzas are way better than they should be. And since the world is (literally) on fire anyway, why not do crazy, nonsensical things that violate our collective sense of decency, like eat your burger on a pizza?

• Facebook is warning that Apple's planned privacy protections will severely damage part of its business.
• Apple plans to make it harder for apps to track users' data without their consent in iOS 14.
• Facebook says this could severely hurt its Audience Network ad network, reducing revenues by up to 50%.
• Audience Network is just one part of Facebook's broader ad business, and the company also says it will hurt businesses that use it.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple is making it harder for companies to track people's data across apps — and Facebook is warning that it could have devastating effects on part of its business.

On Wednesday, the Silicon Valley-headquartered social networking giant published a blog post decrying changes Apple has planned for iOS 14, its upcoming mobile operating system. Apple intends to prevent apps from tracking users using their unique device identifier (IDFA) without their explicit permission — something that Facebook's Audience Network uses to personalize advertising in third-party apps.

Facebook says that doing so will have a significant impact on Audience Network, cutting its revenues on iOS by up to 50% because of its inability to deliver more valuable, targeted advertising. It may even force Facebook to stop developing Audience Network for iOS altogether, the company said.

"This is not a change we want to make, but unfortunately Apple's updates to iOS 14 have forced this decision. We know this may severely impact publishers' ability to monetize through Audience Network on iOS 14, and, despite our best efforts, may render Audience Network so ineffective on iOS 14 that it may not make sense to offer it on iOS 14 in the future," it wrote in its blog post.

Audience Network is only one piece of Facebook's revenue (it's unclear precisely how much), and its core business of advertising inside its own apps will be unaffected. But any attempt to curtail data collection can pose a threat to Facebook, and the company has been vocal recently about the risks that regulators and platform changes pose.

During a recent earnings call with analysts, company executives argued that Facebook was a "lifeline" for small businesses during the pandemic, and preventing them from effectively targeting people with ads could have dangerous "macro-economic effects."

It's an argument that Facebook reiterated in its Wednesday blog post: "We understand that iOS 14 will hurt many of our developers and publishers at an already difficult time for businesses. We work with more than 19,000 developers and publishers from around the globe and in 2019 we paid out billions of dollars. Many of these are small businesses that depend on ads to support their livelihood."

Do you work at Facebook? Contact Business Insider reporter Rob Price via encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 650-636-6268), encrypted email (robaeprice@protonmail.com), standard email (rprice@businessinsider.com), Telegram/Wickr/WeChat (robaeprice), or Twitter DM (@robaeprice). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by standard email only, please.

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) postponed its annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland from January 2021 to "early next summer."
• Countless business leaders, 53 heads of state, and a handful of celebrities attended last year's meeting, and the program featured big names including President Trump, Greta Thunberg, and Marc Benioff.
• The most impactful discussions at Davos usually happen after hours.
• It's impossible to access the resort town during the event without an invitation from the WEF.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The rich and powerful have postponed their annual descent on a small resort town in Switzerland.

They weren't going there to ski, but to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), typically held in January of each year. The exclusive four-day event — best known as Davos, after the name of its host city — is an opportunity for the world's most influential people to meld minds over the world's economic and political challenges, and, more importantly, to network.

But the 2021 meeting has been postponed to "early next summer" because of the coronavirus pandemic, WEF announced Tuesday.

What is Davos?

Davos is the informal name of the annual four-day conference held by The World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The non-profit organization's aim is to "engage the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas," according to its website.

Each year, business leaders and heads of state give lectures and speak on panels about topics ranging from gender equality and venture capital to mental health and climate change. The real magic happens behind closed doors, however: The rich and powerful use the event as a chance to network and hash out their differences out of the public eye.

North and South Korean officials held their first ever ministerial-level meetings at Davos in 1989, while Greece and Macedonia settled their nearly three-decade-long conflict over Macedonia's name at the event in 2018, according to the BBC.

Who was at Davos in 2020?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump were among the 53 heads of state who attended the 2020 event.

US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Greta Thunberg also attended, according to Reuters. Priyanka Chopra Jonas spoke at a fireside chat about global poverty, CNBC reported.

Notably, the only Iranian on the guest list, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, canceled his trip amid tensions with the United States over the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Reuters reported.

About 3,000 business and political leaders were set to attend Davos in 2020, Reuters reported ahead of the January event. Past attendees have included Bill Gates, Prince William, Marc Benioff, and George Soros, according to the BBC. Global pop icon Shakira, actors Forest Whitaker and Matt Damon, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, and former Alibaba chairman Jack Ma have also attended in the past, The New York Times reported.

How do people get access to Davos?

Attendance is by invitation only, according to CBS News. As a result, the conference has long faced criticism over a lack of diversity among attendees. Only 22% percent of Davos' 2019 attendees were women, the BBC reported. African and Asian markets are also underrepresented, former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade and Foreign Policy magazine editor David Rothkopf told CBS.

Without an invite, you weren't even able to access the resort. It turns into a "veritable fortress" during the event, according to The New York Times' Michael J. de la Merced and Russell Goldman. 

How much does it cost to attend Davos?

The conference itself is free for most attendees, the BBC reported. However, anyone there to represent a company is charged 27,000 Swiss francs ($28,000) to attend.

Even those who don't pay for the conference are still on the hook for the WEF's membership fees, which start at 60,000 Swiss francs ($62,000) per year and can range up to 600,000 Swiss francs ($620,000) depending on the type of membership, according to the BBC.

Accommodations in Davos don't come cheap either. Hotels raise their prices to five times their normal rate during the conference, according to The New York Times. Rooms at two of the most popular hotels among attendees, the Belvedere and the InterContinental, rented for $231 and $392 on nights in January 2020, their websites show. Both hotels are sold out during the event. They also sell badges to allow access to common areas frequented by attendees, The Times reported.

Some attendees elect to rent chalets for themselves and their staff, which can cost up to $140,000 for the week, The Times reported.

Most attendees do save a bit of money by eating and drinking on someone else's dime, The Times reported. 

What was on the agenda for 2021?

Davos' 2021 theme is "Great Reset," according to the event's website. World leaders were set to attend a variety of speeches, panels, and discussions designed to help chart the global recovery plan for after the coronavirus pandemic. 

Even though the main conference has been rescheduled, WEF still plans to host a series of digital discussions on their original dates in January. 

However, the most important thing that happens at Davos is networking.

What goes on after hours at Davos?

Various companies throw a wide range of events for Davos attendees, The New York Times reported. One year, JPMorgan Chase rented out the Kirchner Museum Davos to throw a cocktail party co-hosted by Dimon and former British prime minister Tony Blair. Google throws a party each year at the InterContinental Hotel that The Times called "the hottest ticket in town."

In 2013, former Facebook president Sean Parker threw an infamous party where "specially made stuffed animals illuminated dancers with lasers shot from their eyes" as John Legend performed, according to CBS News. Also in 2013, Benioff flew in fresh flowers and a live band from his adopted home of Hawaii, according to The Times.

• Offices, hotels, and malls were emptied by the coronavirus. Even as they reopen, the disruption has many thinking we're looking at a new normal for how we occupy space. 
• Some big firms are rethinking office needs, while others charge ahead with expansion.
• Lenders are looking to unload debt tied to hotel properties as global travel takes a hit. 
• A surge in e-commerce, meanwhile, is fueling demand for warehouse and cold-storage space from  Amazon and other online sellers. 
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The coronavirus pandemic threw the real-estate world into disarray, as people emptied out of offices, hotels, and malls and worked from their homes. That disruption has transformed how people and companies finance, operate, and occupy real estate. 

Some big firms are rethinking office needs — and some commercial real-estate deals have been put on ice as financing dries up. Coworking and flex-office firms are struggling under big rent obligations after years of rapid growth.

A surge in e-commerce, meanwhile, is fueling demand for warehouse and cold storage space as companies look for new ways to reach customers. And with the pandemic increasing the amount of food delivery and hurting restaurants' bottom lines, buzzy ghost kitchens see an opportunity to grow. 

Still, companies like IBM and Facebook have been pushing ahead with plans for big office spaces, showing that it may be too soon to call and end to the office. And Apple is in talks to grow a Manhattan office that it leased earlier this year.

Here's the latest news on how commercial and residential real-estate is being upended, and how experts think these markets will play out in the long run. 

Have a tip about layoffs or major changes in this space? Contact this reporter through the secure messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 768-4772 using a non-work phone, email at anicoll@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @AlexONicoll. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

Here's everything we know right now: 

What top investors and dealmakers are saying

• Blackstone's co-head of real-estate explains why the giant investor is still betting on office properties — and lays out the industries where demand for in-person workspaces are the strongest
• Commercial real-estate hiring is heating back up. From strategy-focused exec jobs to the red-hot industrial space, 4 recruiters lay out roles they're trying to fill.
• Meet the 4 dealmakers driving Blackstone's $325 billion commercial real estate portfolio. They walked us through how they're thinking about opportunities in the downturn.
• The CEO of real estate heavy-hitter Eastdil explains the types of deals that are must-do right now — and warns that a 'de-retailing' trend is set to accelerate

Tech office deals

• Apple is in talks to potentially expand its NYC footprint. It shows how tech is becoming a lone bright spot for a battered commercial real-estate market.
• Facebook just reached a blockbuster deal to lease the massive Farley Building in NYC as a tech and engineering hub. Here's why it's a huge win for a shaken office market.
• Facial-recognition experts say the pandemic is a huge tipping point for office landlords embracing the tech. Here's how they're pitching the idea.
• SL Green is looking to sell a $1.1 billion Amazon-anchored building to buy back its shares. Here's a look at its strategy to defend its share price as the office market tanks.
• IBM is on the hunt for a massive Manhattan space, showing that worries about the death of the big-city office may be overblown
• Companies from banks to tech giants are looking to shed huge chunks of office space. Here's a look at 8 key sublease offers — and what they mean for rents in big-city markets.
• Facebook is eyeing offices in cities like Dallas, Atlanta, and Denver to act as 'hubs' to support 50% of its workers staying remote — and it's a move that could upend Silicon Valley and NYC real estate
• A blockbuster Facebook office deal is a make-or-break moment for the future of commercial real estate. 3 leasing experts lay out the stakes.
• IBM is ditching a big WeWork office it has been renting in NYC — showing risks for the flex-space model as the pandemic prompts big companies to rethink real-estate needs

Restaurants

• Ghost kitchens are pitching themselves as the future of restaurants. These are the 14 companies — and the money backing them — that you need to know.

Hotels and casinos

• Investments in risky hotel debt could get wiped out as travel gets slammed — and one group of lenders may see an outsized hit
• A growing group of lenders are looking to unload hundreds of millions of dollars of souring hotel loans. Teams hired to sell the portfolios say it's just the beginning of a surge in activity.
• Billions of dollars of Las Vegas development hang in the balance right now, but the owner of Caesars Palace sees the city's crisis as an opportunity to imagine its next mega-project.
• The lender to a trendy Brooklyn hotel is looking to offload an $80 million mortgage as the hospitality sector craters — and it's the type of deal distressed-debt investors have been waiting for
• Blackstone bet big on 4 huge Las Vegas casinos. Then the coronavirus brought Sin City to a halt, right as the PE giant was trying to unload one of its multi-billion-dollar jewels.
• Hospitality startup Sonder is pushing ahead with plans to open its largest NYC apartment hotel yet as coronavirus cripples the travel industry

Student housing

• A student-housing developer is facing backlash after pressuring schools to bring college kids back to campus so it could keep its revenues up
• Big investors poured billions into student housing — thinking it was a recession-proof bet. Then the pandemic emptied campuses and turned that thesis on its head.

Warehouses and logistics

• Neighbor, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup that wants to be the Airbnb of self-storage, has started partnering with landlords to turn empty offices into spaces for people's stuff
• Cold storage is 2020's red-hot real estate play. Here's how the private-equity backed industry leader is spending $500 million to tighten its grip on the market.
• Real estate developers are building costly cold storage space before they even have tenants. They're betting the risky move could be a winning investment as grocery delivery booms.
• Logistics startup Bond has teamed up with SoftBank-backed REEF Technology to bring nano-warehouses to parking lots across the US. Here's how they're building the distribution hubs of the future.
• Amazon just signed its largest-ever warehouse lease in NYC. Here's how it's been making deals left and right to grow its massive storage and distribution network.
• Amazon just signed a lease on a huge NYC warehouse used by one-time rival Jet.com. The e-commerce giant has been gobbling up industrial space as demand for deliveries surges.
• Warehouses are the new darling of commercial real-estate thanks to a surge in e-commerce, with firms like Macy's and Boeing selling while Amazon snaps space up
• A surge in grocery deliveries is creating a huge opportunity for industrial real-estate developers. Here's how the coronavirus is transforming retail and warehousing.
• Bond, which has raised $15 million from investors including Lightspeed, wants to become the Shopify of logistics by turning vacant retail space into warehouses

Brick-and-mortar retail space

• Markets for retail and office space are under enormous pressure. A foreclosure in the works for a building on NYC's glitzy Fifth Avenue shopping corridor shows just how bad it's getting.
• Real-estate developers are betting on a risky strategy to reimagine retail space in hopes of rescuing struggling shopping centers
• JCPenney has hired brokers to sell off 163 locations across the US as the department-store chain slashes its footprint and tries to emerge from bankruptcy
• Neiman Marcus' shocking exit from glitzy Hudson Yards strikes a huge blow to the $25 billion project. The departure could unravel one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history.
• Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt lays out how retail and office space can still thrive and why private infrastructure is the next big opportunity
• Bankrupt Neiman Marcus's $80 million flagship store in the glitzy Hudson Yards mega-mall is now being marketed as office space. It's another black eye for the city's retail market.
• Inside a 'big short' bet against malls: Investors are claiming wins, and a research analyst who said the wagers were misguided is out
• Lease obligations are 'suffocating' retailers — and a potential court fight over a Victoria's Secret flagship NYC store highlights a wider battle between tenants and landlords
• Neiman Marcus just filed for bankruptcy, and it could mark a major blow to NYC's glitzy Hudson Yards — one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history. Here's why.

State of the commercial real-estate market

• A top Americas exec at commercial real-estate giant Cushman & Wakefield is out
• Lenders are balking at financing mega commercial real-estate deals — and that's leaving buyers for buildings like the Transamerica Pyramid in limbo
• Global firms are cutting down on their real-estate footprint as CEOs across industries are considering a permanent switch to remote work
• Inside the drama over control of the iconic Chrysler Building: A real-estate tycoon and a prestigious college are renegotiating a critical $150 million deal
• Real-estate tycoon Aby Rosen is abandoning $600 million worth of acquisitions as the coronavirus slams New York City's multibillion-dollar sales market
• Major tenants are delaying big leases in NYC as they re-think their office space needs for the post-coronavirus world
• 7 charts show how the coronavirus could clobber real estate, from retail vacancies of nearly 15% to plunging office rents in Texas cities

Coworking, coliving, and short-term rentals

• WeWork rival Knotel just told staff it's looking to raise $100 million as it faces a turbulent office market and a host of unpaid bills
• WeWork is turning to big brokerages like CBRE and JLL to help it find customers. It's a huge strategy shift that shows how hard office space is to fill right now.
• Wells Fargo is ditching a 750-person WeWork space, while Citi inked a deal with the flex-office giant far from a big city. Here's a look at how financial firms are retooling their real estate.
• WeWork is looking to fill 2 million square feet of vacancies in New York City, its biggest market. Here's what's sitting empty.
• The short-term rental market is consolidating in big cities as demand surges in rural areas. Here's how startups like Sonder are taking advantage of the shakeout.
• Office-rental startup Knotel bragged it was a nearly profitable anti-WeWork. Now lawsuits are stacking up. 12 insiders reveal what happened to the $400 million Knotel said it raised last year.
• WeWork is leasing a big new office in Jersey City to house the headquarters of a planned spin-off from pharma giant Merck. Here's how the deal will work, and why it's a big win for the struggling coworking giant.
• Women-focused coworking startup The Wing is almost $270,000 behind on rent and other charges at its Bryant Park location in New York, according to lawsuit
• Co-living is the real-estate industry's big bet on dorm-like housing for young professionals. Here's why players like Nuveen and Cushman & Wakefield remain bullish even during the pandemic.
• WeWork is ditching a major Manhattan office it hasn't even moved into yet — and it's the first big step in a turnaround that's put its entire real-estate portfolio under review
• Vacancy rates are soaring above 15% in Washington DC's normally recession-proof office market. Here's how industry players think this downturn will shape up — and why some are still optimistic.
• Leaked financials from WeWork rival Knotel show huge pre-pandemic losses and a shrinking cash pile. It's a grim sign for the flex-office space.
• After 2 layoff rounds, a valuation nosedive, and chaotic landlord negotiations, Airbnb-backed Zeus Living is shifting its business model. Here's how the corporate-housing startup is moving forward.
• WeWork's US head of real estate is leaving the coworking giant as the firm works through a major turnaround attempt
• WeWork is rolling out global layoffs over Zoom and has kicked off talks to slash jobs in the UK as the coworking giant struggles to cope with coronavirus fallout
• Knotel and insurance startup Rhino didn't disclose its CEOs were brothers when it struck a complex financial deal. Now a key partner could be on the hook as Knotel scrambles to pay bills, slashes staff, and plans to shed portions of its portfolio.
• WeWork's revenue growth rate was cut in half in Q1, as the company burned through nearly $500 million in 'free 
• As WeWork and flex-space rivals stumble, 18 million square feet of space in NYC is at risk. Here's what that means for the real-estate market.
• Airbnb and RXR Realty are scrapping a partnership at Rockefeller Center that the home-sharing giant had touted as a '21st-century hospitality model'
• Airbnb-backed corporate housing startup Zeus Living is asking landlords to renegotiate their leases and withholding April and May rent until they sign
• Knotel is scrambling to pay millions in bills that started stacking up before the coronavirus hit, and hasn't paid April rent at some locations
• Leaked documents from Knotel show the WeWork competitor struggled to hit financial targets well before the coronavirus hit
• 'This is the day of reckoning' for companies like WeWork. 10 real-estate insiders lay out the future of flex-offices, and how employers are preparing now.

The future of real estate

• Burning through cash and nothing coming in: We talked to 7 VC investors about what's keeping them up at night in their proptech portfolios
• Real estate giant CBRE has an 'unparalleled' amount of data. Its tech chief lays out how it's putting it to good use.
• How commercial real-estate giant JLL is revamping its trainee program to help early-career brokers land deals 
• WeWork is bringing corporate staff back to New York offices in 3 waves as the city enters the next stage of reopening. Here are the details the coworking giant just gave workers.
• Construction firms that get tech right could see Silicon Valley-like valuations. Here's how an old-school industry can transform itself.
• Silver Lake just added to a string of recent travel bets by leading a $108 million investment in vacation property startup Vacasa
• Companies need to add contactless-entry tech to safely reopen offices. Here are 7 firms ranging from startups to huge conglomerates that are set for a surge in business.
• Robots, remote hires, and insourcing: A top UBS exec lays out how the Swiss bank is tackling the future of work and thinking about real-estate needs
• A smart home startup that raised $41 million from Amazon and Bain just launched an app that lets landlords and residents give remote access for deliveries, guests, and self-guided tours
• Here's which real-estate tech startups will soar and which will flop in the new normal of how we occupy space, according to 7 top proptech VCs
• 10 CEOs from Coldwell Banker, JLL, Cushman Wakefield, and more lay out a post-pandemic future of how we'll buy, build, and use real estate
• The office as we knew it is dead
• Mandatory temperature-taking is largely seen as a critical way to return workers to offices. But some big NYC landlords are worried about its effectiveness.
• The future of real estate could be virtual open houses on Facebook. Coldwell Banker's CEO explains why the in-person industry needs to embrace going digital.
• 'We should be prepared for a new normal': 3 real estate experts on how the coronavirus is transforming offices and accelerating the rise of industrial property
• What to expect when you're back in the office: 7 real-estate experts break down what the transition will look like, and why the workplace may never be the same
• Virtual tours are being hyped as a way for commercial real estate giants like CBRE and JLL to keep deals flowing. Here's a look at how they work — and what factors they can't replace.
• Real-estate services giant JLL explains how the coronavirus could usher in a permanent 'paradigm shift' towards more remote work

• Measuring cups are a must-have for anyone who loves to bake and cook, to ensure ingredients are precisely added.
• We found that the KitchenMade Stainless Steel Measuring Cups are the best for dry ingredients, while the Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set is the most accurate for wet ingredients.

Most star bakers and Europeans use kitchen scales to ensure that they get the perfect amount of each ingredient into their recipes, but us mere mortals in the US typically stick to recipes based on dry and wet cup measurements. 

There are many different kinds of dry measuring cups, and some are more durable than others. Cheap plastic sets and flimsy metal ones never last very long — either the handle snaps off or it bends under the least amount of pressure. We recommend you invest in a good sturdy pair of stainless steel measuring cups for dry ingredients that will last you a lifetime. Thicker plastic ones are also acceptable, but they won't last quite as long. 

Although longer handles may look classy, sets with shorter handles have better balance when standing empty or stacked together. A good grippy handle with smooth edges is best for comfort, and you need a set with clear, etched measurement markings that won't fade over time or peel off as some printed labels do. 

If you're working with European recipes, you'll also probably want a set of measuring cups that have milliliter markings. Should you run into a recipe that measures in grams and you don't have a kitchen scale, Doves Farm has a great conversion chart for different types of ingredients.

When it comes to wet ingredients, look for a sturdy set of glass measuring cups. Plastic measuring cups for wet ingredients always seem to get stained, and the plastic can absorb and transmit unwanted flavors to your ingredients. You should also check for metric measurements, comfortable handles, clear marking, and a good spout for pouring the wet ingredients. To make things easier, we researched top offerings and found these measuring cups are the best to fit most needs.

Here are the best measuring cups:

• Best overall for dry ingredients: KitchenMade Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Best overall for wet ingredients: Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set
• Best magnetic set: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Best on a budget: OXO Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups
• Best stainless steel: Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set
• Best for scooping: Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

Updated on 8/26/20 to edit copy, prices, links, and remove references to third-party ratings and reviews, because we've found them to be unreliable in the past.

The best overall for dry ingredients

The KitchenMade Stainless Steel Measuring Cups are sturdy enough to last a lifetime, and you'll get accurate measurements for dry ingredients in recipes.

While cheaper metal measuring cups have flimsy handles that bend or cut into your hands, KitchenMade's set is comfortable to hold and it'll last a lifetime — the company even has a lifetime 100% money-back guarantee to prove it. 

The cups are made out of one piece of stainless steel, so the handles won't snap off. The steel is reasonably thick, too, so you don't have to worry about the handle bending under pressure. There's a hole in the handle of each cup in case you want to loop them together or hang them in your kitchen.

Measurements are etched into the short handles in both milliliters and cups, so you won't get confused with metric measurements. The measurements are also listed on the side of the cup, and the 1/4 cup measurement has a handy half-measure line for when you need 1/8 cup in a recipe.

Although you should really separate measuring cups for wet ingredients, too, if you want to use KitchenMade's set for wet ingredients, you can, thanks to the small pouring lip and a flat bottom.

Pros: Sturdy stainless steel design, short handles, etched measurements in both cups and milliliters, lifetime 100% money-back guarantee

Cons: Pricey

The best overall for wet ingredients

The Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set for wet ingredients can't be beaten with its sturdy design, clear markings, and great price.

When it comes to measuring wet ingredients, there's only one brand that comes to mind: Pyrex. The company has been making glass measuring cups for wet ingredients for 90 years, and it's still the top brand among bakers and chefs. The Pyrex 4-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set is ideal for any recipe with its 1-cup, 2-cup, 4-cup, and 8-cup capacities. 

Although these measuring cups are made of glass, they are very sturdy and shouldn't break easily. The nonporous glass doesn't absorb odors or flavors the way plastic inevitably does, and these cups won't warp or melt in the presence of hot ingredients. 

Pyrex guarantees that you can pop its measuring cups in the oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, or dishwasher without any problems, so you can get a lot of use out of this set. The company also offers a two-year warranty in case of any defects or problems, and you can feel good knowing you bought something that's American made.

More importantly, though, Pyrex's measuring cups offer accurate measurements and clear markings in cups, ounces, quarts, and milliliters. The spout pours well without dripping and the handle is comfortable to hold, too.

Although you can buy the measuring cups individually, the set is a much better deal.

Pros: Glass design is strong, no odor absorption, clear metric and imperial measurements, two-year warranty, easy to clean, good spout for pouring liquid ingredients.

Cons: None

The best magnetic set

The OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps are easy to grip and measure dry ingredients with great accuracy.

If you don't want to pay more than $20 for a set of measuring cups, the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps are your best bet. They're not the cheapest ones you can buy, but they're far better than the lower-priced options.

These sturdy stainless steel measuring cups come with excellent grippy handles and clearly etched measurement markings. You don't have to worry about bent or broken handles because the steel is relatively thick. The handles also have magnets inside, so they stick together when you stack them. The magnets aren't terribly strong, but they have enough force to hold the cups in place in your cupboard.

The set comes with 1/4-cup, 1/3-cup, 1/2-cup, and 1-cup measurements, and the only complaint we have with the set is the lack of metric measurements. But, most people won't need to measure in milliliters, anyway. There's also a matching set of teaspoons you can buy with magnets in the handles if you want your baking gear to match.

Pros: Sturdy stainless steel, magnetic stacking cups, clear etched markings, grippy handles, decent price

Cons: No metric measurements

The best on a budget

The OXO Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups are an affordable alternative to the high-end stainless steel sets.

OXO also makes our favorite budget measuring cups with the Good Grips Plastic Measuring Cups. These sturdy plastic measuring cups snap together for easy storage in your cupboard and make it easy to measure dry ingredients for any recipe with clear markings for half and full measurements.

OXO includes a scraper with the cups to level off ingredients as you bake. The measurement of each cup is engraved in the handle, so you can always know which one is which, but there are also colorful measurements stamped on the sides. Those marks typically wear off over time, so it's good that OXO made indelible markings on the handle, too.

The inside of each cup also has a half measure line for when you need to cut a recipe in half, but can't be bothered with the math. Although the cups are made of plastic, they are BPA free and relatively sturdy.

For this price, you're not going to get the same quality as you would with a pair of solid stainless steel measuring cups, but if you just need a set for occasional use, these affordable plastic ones are perfectly fine. 

If you can afford the pricier OXO set or our top pick from KitchenMade, your measuring cups will likely last you longer. However, this is the best affordable plastic set you can buy, and if you take care of it, the OXO plastic set should last you a good amount of time. The only other downside is the lack of milliliter markings, but most US buyers won't need those.

Pros: BPA-free plastic, half measurement lines, comes with a scraper, clear measurement markings, very affordable price

Cons: Plastic isn't as durable, no milliliter markings

The best stainless steel set

The Bellemain 6-piece measuring cup set is nearly identical to our top pick, but will set you back a few dollars less.

The Bellemain Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set is nearly identical to our favorite from KitchenMade. The set is made of stainless steel, and thanks to each cup's flat bottom, they won't tip over and are great for nesting inside one another for compact storage. Each cup is made with a single piece of dishwasher-safe steel, and thus far, I haven't had any issues with bending or pieces snapping off.

All cups include both mL measurements as well as cup sizes, which are clearly noted on the handles. While there aren't markings on the inside of the cups, the six-piece set does cover all the standard measurements: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, and 1 cup.

The edges aren't terribly sharp, which is quite useful for folks without dishwashers (or who just prefer to hand wash their cups). And thanks to the wide handle, you won't have these measurers slipping out of your hand. — Lulu Chang

Pros: Solid construction, accurate measurements, lower price and nearly identical construction to other high-ranking measuring cups  

Cons: No markings on the insides of the cups

The best for scooping

The Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups are narrower than most, which makes them perfect for reaching into a jar of sugar or bag of flour without doing any damage to the cup or container.

Most measuring cups are indistinguishable when it comes to their design, but that's not quite the case with the Norpro Grip-Ez Stainless Steel Measuring Cups. Considerably narrower than the other cups you might find, and more closely resembling a large spoon than a cup, I've grown particularly fond of this set as it's extremely useful for scooping dry ingredients.

They perform well in terms of accuracy of measurement, and the "Grip-Ez" aspect of the product's name comes into play with the rubber coating on the handles. This makes grabbing the cups quite comfortable, and of course, helps to ensure that they don't move around in your hand. There's also a small indentation in the handle that allows your pointer finger to rest comfortably as you're scooping. Be warned though, it's designed for right-handed folks, and lefties may find the notch a bit less than comfortable.

The Norpro comes in a set of five, so you'll get 1/8 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup in your collection. Better still, the 1 cup measure actually features markings on the inside of the cup. While they're not going to be nearly as accurate as the other cups in your set, they do work well for approximations, or in situations where all your other cups are dirty, and you're left with just the one big guy.

Constructed with two pieces, the Norpro still feels quite sturdy, seeing as the handles are securely fastened to the actual bowls. Of course, that's not quite as break-resistant as cups made with a single piece of steel, but as far as two-part construction goes, this feels pretty solid.  — Lulu Chang

Pros: Shovel-like shape makes for easy scooping, great grip (for right-handed folks), accurate

Cons: Expensive, rubber grip isn't totally sealed to the handle, which could allow for some buildup

Check out our other kitchen guides for baking gear

The best measuring spoons you can buy

The best measuring spoons are accurate, easy to read, have metric and US measurements, and will last you for the rest of your life.

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The best mixing bowls

The best mixing bowls are light enough for easy use, clean up effortlessly, and are designed to last. Here are our stand-out favorites.

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The best baking sheets

A top-quality baking sheet is easy to handle, cleans up effortlessly, and bakes food without warping or buckling. We found the best options.

 

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• As the economy and job environments change, so too must the educational systems that produce the workers trying to navigate the modern skills demanded of them. 
• Online-learning community Skillshare democratizes education by offering thousands of creative, business, and technology classes to students around the world for a low price ($8.25 to $19 a month).
• Students learn from top teachers with real experience in their industries, share their work to receive feedback and improve their skills, and explore a wide range of topics. 

Education — at least in the way we typically think of it, synonymous with the ivy-lined walls and hushed libraries of elite institutions — isn't a privilege everyone can enjoy thanks to increasing tuition costs and deep-rooted economic inequalities. A formal education is also no guarantee that you'll be ready for the "real world," as more employers report that they're not seeing the tangible skills they want from college grads. Throw rapidly changing technologies and job ecosystems into the mix, and it's no wonder the modern job seeker often feels like they're drowning. 

Online education is touted as the solution that changes it all, giving job seekers the flexibility and opportunity to pursue quality classes and content they wouldn't necessarily be able to access otherwise. Millions of results for "online classes" pop up when you search for them, but a select few, including those offered by online learning platform Skillshare, truly stand out.

Founded in 2011, Skillshare now offers more than 19,000 classes across creative, business, and technology categories, and has been used by more than seven million students worldwide. For an affordable price, students learn from some of the top leaders in their industries, such as graphic designer Aaron Draplin and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, and in-house professionals from companies like MailChimp, Squarespace, and DKNG Studios. 

In 2014, Skillshare became one of the first online education companies to move from a pay-per-class model to a subscription model, making it even more affordable for students to learn the new skills they want and need. Students can take unlimited classes across the Skillshare catalog with a Premium membership, which starts at $15 for one month or $8.25 a month for an annual membership. There are also hundreds of classes available for free on the site and you can currently sign up for a two-month free trial of Premium. 

More great e-learning classes to try:

• Yale's most popular class ever is available free online — and the topic is how to be happier in your daily life
• The 20 fastest-growing skills in the freelance job market, according to Upwork — and the online courses you can take to learn them
• 54 free online courses from the best colleges in the US — including Princeton, Harvard, and Yale

Plenty of sites boast talented teachers and accessible prices, but what sets Skillshare apart is that it provides a deep and broad set of expertise while also fostering a supportive community for non-traditional workers (such as freelancers). In fact, it doesn't consider itself simply an online learning website; instead, it's an online learning community. 

Skillshare CEO Matt Cooper told Business Insider:

For freelancers, it can be a pretty lonely journey. When you're in a traditional company, you always have someone to run ideas by, get feedback from, and learn new techniques [from]. One of the voids that Skillshare fills is providing that network of peers and experts.

This community approach is essential to keeping students motivated. While anyone who is pursuing online classes is likely inherently self-motivated, Skillshare's project-based design further incentivizes students. Students must upload completed projects to the site in order to receive feedback. Put your work on display and you'll get rewarded with the validation and constructive criticism that will spur your improvement. 

Learning by doing also bridges the gap between what job-seekers are offering and what employers actually want to see. Cooper says: 

You go from the value of your pedigree to "Show me what skills you have. I want to see your portfolio, your GitHub. I want to see what you've done."

When you look at our content, it skews heavily towards actually getting things done. The overall shift in our content is towards more tangible, hands-on deliverables, as opposed to purely academic content.

From UI/UX design and web development to illustration and even culinary skills, Skillshare courses empower students to take control of their own education and have something to show for it. 

Get unlimited access to 19,000+ courses with a Skillshare Premium membership here.

If you're not sure where to start on Skillshare, we've shared some of the top courses in business, design, and tech below. 

Read on for 15 of the top Skillshare classes.

The top five Business courses on Skillshare

1. Art of the Start: Turning Ideas into High-Growth Businesses by Guy Kawasaki
2. E-Commerce Essentials: How to Start a Successful Online Business by Tracey Wallace
3. Entrepreneurship Hustle: From Business Plan to Real Success by Michael Chernow 
4. Instagram for Business: Build an Engaged Community by Tyler McCall
5. Make a Living as an Artist: Strategies for Crafting Your Creative Business by Brooke Glaser

Get unlimited access to these courses and more with a Skillshare Premium membership.

The top five Design classes on Skillshare

1. True Grit: Handmade Textures & Halftones for Designers & Illustrators by Andrew Fairclough
2. Illustrate Your Day: An Intro to Symbol Design by Edward Boatman
3. Surface Pattern Design 2.0: Design a Collection by Bonnie Christine
4. Watercolor for Surface Pattern Design: Working with Adobe Illustrator by Bonnie Christine
5. Brushpen Logo Design: Develop Your Signature Style by Matt Vergotis

Get unlimited access to these courses and more with a Skillshare Premium membership.

The top five Tech classes on Skillshare

1. Web Design Essentials: Creating Marketing Homepages That Drive Results by Dennis Field
2. User Experience Design Essentials - Adobe XD UI UX Design by Daniel Scott
3. Understanding Web Development: A Beginners Guide to the Web by Christopher Dodd
4. Hand-Coding Your First Website: HTML and CSS Basics by Rich Armstrong
5. The JavaScript Toolkit: Write Cleaner, Faster & Better Code by Christian Heilmann

Get unlimited access to these courses and more with a Skillshare Premium membership.

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• While blinds are very functional and cost-effective, they can really attract dust.
• Regular cleaning can help extend the life of your blinds and improve the air quality in your home.
• We've searched out the best tools, products, and tips for cleaning all types of window blinds.
• Don't start your window blind cleaning until you have purchased the Hiware Window Blind Cleaner Duster ($7.99). 
• See more: The best window blinds

Window blinds can be a price-conscious way to add privacy to your windows, protect your belongings from sun damage, and even add a decorative touch to your home. There are nearly as many different types of window blinds as there are decorating styles. Available in wood, faux wood, plastic, metal, and even fabric, the blinds can be made to measure or purchased ready to hang in standard-size windows.

One thing that every type of blind has in common is that it gets dusty and dirty. Weekly dusting can help control the amount of grime that builds up on the slats. But if you don't remove dust regularly, it can combine with grease and other particles in the air to become sticky and much more difficult to remove.

I've got 20+ years in the cleaning industry and my favorite tool for cleaning blinds is the Hiware Window Blind Cleaner Duster. This cleverly-designed little gadget has three prongs attached to a handle so I can clean three slats — top and bottom — at a time. There are microfiber "gloves" that slip over the prongs to capture the dust. Since the tool comes with five sets of gloves, I can do the entire house and then toss the gloves in the washer to use again.

When I'm ready to do a more thorough cleaning, the tool works well with any cleaning solutions needed. Yes, even with regular dusting, there will be a time when the blinds need to be cleaned and not just dusted. This is particularly the case for kitchen blinds that are exposed to grease particles and bathroom blinds that end up catching bits of hair spray.

How to dust window blinds

Weekly cleaning keeps your home free of dirt, dust, and grime. This applies to nearly every surface, including your window blinds. All of this cleaning can be rather time-consuming, but the following steps prove very efficient for cleaning window blinds.

1. If you cannot easily reach the top of the window, always use a sturdy step ladder while you are cleaning.
2. If you are using the three-pronged Hiware Window Blind Cleaner Duster, simply open the blinds fully and start at the top of the window and work your way down, making sure that you wipe across each slat of the blind.
3. If you choose to use a regular duster, close the blinds so they are flat against the window. Start at the top and wipe each slat horizontally. Slowly move down the blind making sure you clean each individual slat.
4. Rotate the blinds to expose the other side of the slats and repeat the process.
5. While you're dusting, don't forget the header of the blind and the windowsill.

 

How to clean window blinds

When blinds become dingy and feel sticky to the touch, it's time to give them a thorough cleaning. For most households, this should be done at least twice a year. The type of cleaner you use will depend on the material for the blinds. Natural wood blinds require a cleaner that is recommended for wood floors. Metal, faux wood, and plastic blinds can be easily cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner.

1. When you're ready to do a thorough cleaning, always begin by dusting first to remove as much grime as possible. Remember to use that sturdy step ladder to reach upper edges.
2. If you have natural wood blinds, Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray cleans and protects the wood, and is simple to use. For metal, vinyl, and plastic blinds, Method All-Purpose Surface Cleaner cuts through the grime. If kitchen blinds have excessive amounts of grease buildup, use Method Heavy Duty Degreaser Spray. All of these cleaners are ideal because they do not require rinsing.
3. You can use the Hiware Window Blind Cleaner or microfiber cloths for wiping down the blind slats during cleaning. You may need several cloths to clean an entire room of window blinds.
4. Always start at the top so that any drips can be caught later as you clean. Spritz the cleaning product onto one of the microfiber cloths. With the blinds closed flat against the window, wipe down each slat with the cleaner-sprayed cloth. 
5. Keep moving to a clean area of the cloth as the soil is transferred from the blinds and proceed down the blinds.
6. Rotate the slats so that the other side of the blinds is exposed and repeat the cleaning process.
7. To clean the strings or ladders that hold the slats together, use foaming shaving cream. Spray a bit of shaving cream onto a cloth, grasp the soiled area of the string with the cloth and rub. The shaving cream will remove the soil without leaving any drips and no rinsing is needed.

• An experienced US Air Force F-16 pilot went head-to-head with an artificial intelligence algorithm in a simulated dogfight last week and suffered five straight losses in the battle with the machine.
• Former US Navy pilot and TOPGUN instructor Guy Snodgrass told Insider that he was "not surprised" by the AI victory, arguing that the the pilot was forced to play the AI's game and that the AI algorithm would likely have "crashed and burned" in the real world.
• Former Air Force pilot and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation John "JV" Venable said the competition was "gamed to a point where you can't beat it."
• That being said, both of the former pilots said they see a not-too-distant future where the US military has mission-capable AI-driven autonomous combat aircraft that can engage other combatants in air-to-air combat.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

An artificial intelligence algorithm absolutely destroyed a seasoned US fighter pilot last week in a simulated dogfight, a result some observers say was to be expected.

"I was not surprised by that outcome," Guy 'Bus' Snodgrass, a former US Navy pilot and TOPGUN instructor, told Insider, arguing that the set-up of the engagement gave the AI an advantage. John "JV" Venable, a former US Air Force F-16 pilot, said the same.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) held the last round of its third and final AlphaDogfight competition Thursday, putting an AI system designed by Heron Systems against a human pilot in a "simulated within-visual-range air combat" situation.

The competing AI algorithm achieved a flawless victory, winning five straight matches without the human pilot — an experienced Air Force pilot and Weapons Instructor Course graduate with the callsign "Banger" — ever scoring a hit.

With advancements in air combat capabilities, there have long been questions about whether dogfighting even matters. Both Venable and Snodgrass said it remains relevant because pilots must be prepared to dogfight should their standoff capabilities be neutralized.

"In a best case scenario, dogfighting is completely irrelevant because you want to see your adversary as far away as possible," Snodgrass explained. But sometimes pilots are unable to defeat their opponent before they find themselves in close combat.

"Now, you're left to a bullet," Venable said.

'Gamed to a point where you can't beat it'

Theresa Hitchens at Breaking Defense characterized the recent simulated engagement as a "one-on-one combat scenario" in which combatants fired "forward guns in a classic, WWII-style dogfight," suggesting that it mimicked certain aspects of close air-to-air combat. That being said, the contest was not necessarily a fair or realistic fight.

"This was gamed to a point where you can't beat it," Venable said, arguing that the AI algorithm appears to have had access to information that it would not have in the real world. The combat environment, as Snodgrass also pointed out, was built to the AI's advantage.

"You have an artificial intelligence program that has been perfectly trained in that environment to conduct a simulated fight, and you have a US Air Force fighter pilot who you are forcing to wear VR goggles," Snodgrass said, saying that the human is "playing the AI's game."

With a background in computer science and experience with some of the Department of Defense's AI research, he explained that "if you give [AI] a very narrow, specific job to accomplish, once it's been trained, once it has had exposure to a very static environment, it does phenomenally well."

"You find that artificial intelligence can begin to outperform human operators in short order," he added.

But, where AI struggles is when it's put in a complex environment with unconstrained variables and asked to think and act like a human being. "We're nowhere near that," Snodgrass said.

"The AlphaDogfight trials were a significant step toward one day providing an unmanned aircraft that can perform dogfighting," the retired Navy commander said, "but what it does not demonstrate is that we're there now."

"I think it's promising for the development of artificial intelligence," he added, "but if you took that same algorithm, put it into an unmanned vehicle and said, 'Okay, go fight a real dogfight,' it would have crashed and burned pretty quick."

A mission-capable AI-driven autonomous combat aircraft is possible in the not-too-distant future though, both he and Venable told Insider.

The AlphaDogfight trials are aimed at moving DARPA's Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program forward.

The ACE program, according to DARPA, is designed to "deliver a capability that enables a pilot to attend to a broader, more global air command mission while their aircraft and teamed unmanned systems are engaged in individual tactics."

Col. Dan Javorsek, the program manager in DARPA's Strategic Technology Office, said last year that the agency envisions "a future in which AI handles the split-second maneuvering during within-visual-range dogfights, keeping pilots safer and more effective as they orchestrate large numbers of unmanned systems into a web of overwhelming combat effects."

The agency's research is aimed at delivering advanced manned-unmanned teaming both inside and outside the cockpit, and DARPA is just one of several teams looking at these capabilities for the US military.

"When you think about all the advancements that have occurred in the last decade, in the last hundred years, I would never bet against technological progress," Snodagrass said.

"I think there's a point in time where the US military will have unmanned aircraft that you could give a mission, load it up, have it take off, and have it potentially fight its way in and fight its way back out," he added. "That's absolutely possible and something likely to happen probably sooner than we ever imagined."

As part of the ongoing Skyborg project, the Air Force is currently working to develop low-cost, attritable AI-driven autonomous aerial combat vehicles to fly alongside manned fighter aircraft in combat as early as 2023. The military is also talking about putting one of these unmanned systems against a manned aircraft in aerial combat as early as next year.

But developing the technology is only part of the process of fielding new warfighting capabilities. The technology also has to be accepted and trusted by pilots.

"The recent 5 to 0 victory of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) pilot developed by Heron Systems over an Air Force F-16 human pilot does not have me scrambling to send out applications for a new job," Navy Cmdr. Colin 'Farva' Price, a F/A-18 squadron commander, wrote in an article for The War Zone. "However, I was impressed by the AlphaDogfight trials and recognize its value in determining where the military can capitalize on AI applications."

He expressed interest in AI-enhanced systems in an aircraft assisting and augmenting the combat capabilities of fighter pilots through machine learning, something the Air Force is already looking at.

Explaining that top US pilots have thousands of hours of experience during a 2018 interview with Inside Defense, Steven Rogers, the head of autonomy at the Air Force Research Laboratory, asked the question, "What happens if I can augment their ability with a system that can have literally millions of hours of training time?"

"I am not ready for Skynet to become self-aware," Price wrote, referring to the evil AI enemy in the Terminator films, "but I am certainly ready to invite AI into the cockpit."

• Packing cubes are a great way to keep your belongings organized and can help you make the most of the space in your suitcase.
• However, not all packing cubes are made the same and while some cubes are designed to be lightweight or for compression, others are more about style and durability. 
• The eBags Hyperlite Packing Cubes are our top pick for their lightweight material, shape, durability, and versatility.

We've all been there: You decide to unzip your suitcase to get just one thing and all of a sudden, your suitcase has erupted and all your belongings are in an unkempt pile on the floor. This is where packing cubes really come in handy.

Although some might argue that packing cubes add unnecessary weight to a suitcase, as someone who travels full-time, I've found keeping my clothes in packing cubes helps me stay organized so I can easily find what I need, right when I need it.

You can use packing cubes to separate your underwear from your socks, to compress those bulky sweaters, or to keep your formal wear safe. And, when you arrive at your new destination, moving the cubes from your suitcase to the drawer makes for easy unpacking. 

How we tested

For this guide, I narrowed down the field based on research, user reviews, and my own experience with packing cubes. I then tested 18 different sets of packing cubes, which I received from each brand for review purposes. I looked for durability, breathability, packability, and style. I filled each cube to capacity, checking to see which held its shape the best and put the zippers and seams through rigorous stress testing. I also considered how it looked, the quality of the material, and any unique innovations that took my packing experience to the next level.

Here are the best packing cubes:

• Best packing cubes overall: eBags Hyperlite Packing Cubes
• Best on a budget: LOJEL Packing Cubes
• Best lightweight: Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Cube Set
• Best compression: Eagle Creek Pack-It Original Compression Cube Set 
• Best high-end: Zero Haliburton Packing System
• Best durable: Monos Compressible Packing Cubes

Updated 8/26/2020. This guide has been completely refreshed and includes new testing methods and criteria, as well as new recommendations.

The best packing cubes overall

The pop-up design of the eBags Hyperlite Packing Cubes means these lightweight packing cubes fit nicely in any suitcase and are easy to fill.

Maybe I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I like my packing cubes to be, well, cubical. As simple as it may sound, what set these packing cubes apart was that they stayed cube-shaped even when I filled them to max capacity. And while many other cubes I tested that also held their shape did so by using heavier materials, these are made of a lightweight nylon material, which totals just 10.2 ounces for the whole set.

When I used these cubes to fill up my suitcase on a recent trip, I didn't have to worry about missing out on any extra space in the corners, because these cubes sat perfectly flat on the bottom of my luggage.

Additionally, many sets come with just two or three cubes, but the eBags set comes with seven. That variety allows for more customized packing options, whether you use the whole matching set for a checked-bag trip or chose a few key cubes for a shorter, carry-on only trip. I found the small cubes are perfect for socks and underwear, while the slim cubes are great for lining up your T-shirts and tank tops. I liked using the big bags for formal shirts, pants, dresses, and skirts.

An additional feature that made these stand out was the spring-loaded frame, which means you won't have to fiddle around with the material to start packing. The frame also adds to the durability of the bags and the zippers provide a solid and easy grip.

The mesh top across the cubes also allows for air-flow, but the all-black material does make it a bit difficult to see what's inside. 

Pros: Spring-loaded design helps cubes hold their shape, material is very lightweight, zippers are easy to grip

Cons: Cubes are mostly opaque and can be hard to see into

Editor's note: While the eBags 7-piece set typically costs $84.99, they are currently on sale for 60 percent off, making them an exceptionally great deal right now.

The best budget packing cubes

You might be able to find cheaper cubes on the market, but for a set of six, LOJEL Packing Cubes deliver quality and quantity at the right price. 

The six-piece set from LOJEL comes with two sets of large, medium, and small bags in both mesh and opaque styles. The variety offers a lot of opportunities for customization because you can use the mesh cubes for clothes that might need to breathe more and the opaque cubes for formal wear you want to safeguard against stains.

While many sets come with just two or three packing cubes, the fact that you get six cubes in a range of styles and sizes makes this set an excellent value when you break it down to cost per cube. 

The cubes are made of a light, but sturdy material and the seams are reinforced to prevent tearing. They are easy to pack and hold their shape well when both full and empty. The mesh material is also strong and durable. 

However, the zippers are small and a little awkward to hold — and that's coming from someone with small hands.

Pros: Great price for a full set of quality cubes, solid mix of variety in size and cube type, very durable with reinforced seams and quality mesh material

Cons: Material is a bit heavier, zippers can be difficult to hold on to when the bag is full

Editor's note: When the eBags 7-piece set is at full price, these are a solid lower cost option. However, because the eBags are currently on sale for sixty perfect off, we recommend buying that set as the better value right now. 

The best stylish packing cubes

The ghostly-thin material of the ultra-lightweight Eagle Creek Specter Packing Cube Set won't add pesky extra weight to your luggage.

Of all the lightweight packing cubes I tested, nothing was lighter than the translucent material of Eagle Creek's Specter Packing Cubes. The set comes with three cubes of different sizes that collectively weigh less than 2.2 ounces. If you're a chronic over-packing or worried about cubes adding extra weight to your luggage, the scale will hardly register these barely-there packing cubes made of silnylon ripstop fabric, which is both water- and stain-resistant.

The set comes with a large, medium, and small bag, which have a capacity of 16.7 liters all together. Each bag is labeled with a large L, M, and S to indicate the size, which in my opinion is an unnecessary feature.

However, I did like that the fabric is see-through so you can easily distinguish what's in each one. Additionally, the bungee-style zippers are easy to grip. There was a little give when I pulled on the seams, but they still held up well and the wraparound construction of the cube also minimized potential weak points. 

While the cubes don't hold their shape when completely filled to the brim, they stay square enough that fitting them together in a suitcase isn't an issue. 

Pros: Ultra-lightweight, quality material, easy-grip zippers

Cons: Can be difficult to pack clothes into the flimsy material

The best packing cubes with compression

The sturdy cubes in the Eagle Creek Pack-It Original Compression Cube Set compress while maintaining their shape for easy packing and extra space-saving.

Most compression cubes use a double zipper to help squeeze down clothes to their smallest possible volume so you can enjoy some extra space in your suitcase. However, in many of the cubes I tested, compression also meant the cubes became less cube-like. Since the zippers compress from the outside in, most compression cubes end up looking like bloated cuboids and when trying to fit these in your luggage, you end up with an awkward amount of space at the corners instead of something more modular. 

However, Eagle Creek's compression cubes held their shape the best out of all the compression cubes I tested and, most importantly, were powerful enough to compress even my largest and wooliest cardigan into a solid brick. 

The mesh top allows breathability and the micro-weave material is incredibly sturdy. Unfortunately, it's only available in a set of two — one medium and one small size cube — which have a combined capacity of 11.7 liters. While these packing cubes will come in handy for sweaters and other bulky items, you'll probably need another set of cubes for the rest of your clothes.

Pros: Hold shape when compressed, compress even bulky sweaters easily, mesh top allows air in, durable fabric

Cons: Only comes in a set of two, not lightweight

The best high-end packing cubes

With structured sides, leather handles, and an embossed logo, the Zero Haliburton Packing System is built for the sophisticated traveler.

There are a surprising amount of fancy packing cubes out there that run the gamut from patent leather to designer prints, but if you're looking for the set that's most worth spending extra on, consider the Zero Haliburton Packing System. 

This set comes with large, medium, and small cases that feature semi-structured sides and are made with a combination of nylon and breathable mesh. The embossed leather logo is mostly for show, but the leather handles on the largest case are incredibly useful for effortlessly maneuvering your cube from the suitcase to the hotel room drawer. 

Made from quality materials, the cubes hold their shape perfectly, but they are rather heavy and the capacity is somewhat limited. However, they will fit tidily in luggage and if you do wind up needing to impress someone, the leather touches and businesslike blue and black color combination will do the job.

Pros: Stylish without compromising on function, made from extremely durable nylon, leather, and mesh material

Cons: Heavier material may weigh down luggage, the capacity is limited compared to other cubes on the market

The best durable packing cubes

For packing cubes that are ready for the long-haul and will endure the test of time, Monos Compressible Packing Cubes are made with premium-quality materials.

These compression cubes work very well, compressing down to 60 percent of their previous size. But the real strength of the six-piece set of Compressible Packing Cubes from Monos is in their construction. Made with premium nylon twill and TPU-reinforced mesh, you can instantly feel the difference in the quality of these packing cubes and the extra hem reinforcement on the seams is an added bonus that ensures they'll last through numerous trips without tearing.

In addition to the high-quality material, these compression cubes hold their shape well when fully compressed and are quite stylish. Plus, the interior fabric is made with an anti-microbial material that will work with the ventilation of the mesh top to keep your clothes fresh.

However, they are heavier than some other options and may add some extra weight to your luggage.

Pros: High-quality and long-lasting material used in every part of the design, compress clothes without losing rectangular shape, stand upright when empty for easy packing

Cons: The heavy material adds some extra weight to your suitcase

What else we considered

In addition to the six we recommend, we also tested other packing cubes. While these products are good options, they didn't make our final cut for a variety of reasons.

• TRIPPED Travel Gear ($38): I loved their graphic designs and the variety that comes with this six-piece set. While our other picks edged these out, they are still a solid option.
• Suited Nomad Compression Packing Cube Set ($33): These compression cubes work nicely if you don't overfill them and the four-piece set includes a bonus clear toiletry bag.
• AmazonBasics Travel Organizer ($24): Amazon's four-piece packing cube set is one of the most affordable out there, but while the nylon material is sturdy enough, they're heavier and the cubes don't offer much capacity.
• Away's Insider Packing Cubes ($45): The Away brand is famous for stylish carry-on luggage. Their set of four nylon and mesh packing cubes are lightweight and sturdy but do not hold their shape as well as some of the other cubes I tested.
• Bagail Packing Cube Set ($25): This is a great price for a set of six cubes and the mesh design is cool, but it doesn't have the benefit of either compression or being lightweight.
• Cal Pak Oh Joy! Packing Cubes ($58): I loved the beautiful pattern and the high-quality feel of these five cubes, but they are some of the heavier cubes I tested and are a better fit for long-term storage rather than travel.
• Leatherology Travel Organizers ($125): One of the most expensive sets of packing cubes I tested, these leather cubes are made with high-quality materials, but don't hold much compared with other options.
• Six Moon Designs Multi-Sized Pack Pod Set ($30): While not quite as light and spacious as our lightweight winner, this three-piece set is still extremely lightweight and a great choice for backpackers.
• Travelpro Essentials Packing Cubes ($70): This set of three opaque cubes are designed with a small strip of mesh, which allows for some airflow, but the higher price point didn't seem worth it.

What to consider when buying packing cubes

• Material: Good packing cubes should be made out of a type of nylon, which is a material that is flexible, durable, water-resistant, and thin. Ripstop nylon is a kind of reinforced nylon that is even stronger. This material usually has a cross-hatch pattern.
• Mesh vs opaque: Mesh packing cubes are preferable to allow air to flow through the cube, which can keep bad smells from marinating. However, your clothes could get wet or stained if something spills in your bags. Opaque bags might hold onto bad smells longer, but they're better for protecting your clothes.
• Weight: If the weight of your luggage is a concern, avoid using compression cubes which are made from heavier materials. Not to mention, if you have more space in your suitcase, it's easier to overpack. A good set of lightweight cubes should be made of a thin material that doesn't weigh more than a few ounces.

See more great travel buying guides

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• Piers Constable is a managing director at Deutsche Bank.
• In 2018, the New York City-based executive described his daily routine to Business Insider — and exercise is a huge part of it.
• Before the pandemic, Constable spent up to 10 days out of the month traveling for work.
• On a trip to Cote d'Ivoire in the fall of 2018, he woke up at 5:00 a.m. to exercise, met with clients all day, ate lunch while on an international conference call, and squeezed in another workout before heading back to the airport at 10:00 p.m. for his flight home. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Like so many others, Piers Constable's daily working routine was upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

Constable, a New York City-based managing director at Deutsche Bank, went from traveling for work 10 days out of the month to hunkering down in a house in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York and spending his day on video calls.

Before the pandemic, however, Constable had a consistent routine: He would wake up at 5:00 a.m. every day and spends eight to 10 days of the month traveling for work. He has traveled to more than 60 countries while working for Deutsche Bank and has also lived in London and Dubai. His team arranges finance for infrastructure projects in emerging markets.

Constable wakes up early every day to work out — and often fits in a second workout later in the day.

"I find getting up in the morning to go for a swim or sit on the bike is basically an hour less sleep than I'd have, but that gives me sort of more energy than I'd have had if I'd have stayed in bed," he told Business Insider in October 2018. "I think nobody likes waking up at 5 o'clock, but if it becomes a habit, it's much easier to do."

Here's what a typical day looked like for Constable when he was traveling the world for business.

Piers Constable, a managing director at Deutsche Bank, is based in New York City but travels all over the world to meet clients for up to 10 days out of the month.

He's the head of the Americas' structured trade and export finance division.

Constable told Business Insider that he wakes up at about 5:00 a.m. every morning, whether he's traveling or home in New York City.

He said that he travels so much that sometimes it takes him a moment to remember where he's waking up. On a business trip in the fall of 2018, he woke up in a hotel in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, where he had arrived on a Sunday evening after a 15-hour flight.

The first thing Constable does on any given day is exercise. A competitive triathlete, he likes to get a workout in before anyone else is awake.

The hotel lobby in Abidjan was empty as he went to the pool at 6:00 a.m. He woke up slightly later than usual, at 5:30, because he wasn't allowed to swim in the pool before 6:00.

Constable usually likes to take a morning run to explore a new city, but he was recovering from a minor injury while in Abidjan, so he opted for an hour-long swim in the pool instead.

Constable says his choice of hotel when traveling is usually determined by the quality of its exercise facilities.

By 7:30 a.m., Constable was having breakfast at the hotel with his client so they could plan their strategy for the meetings ahead of them that day.

At 8:30 a.m., Constable and his clients were waiting for their ride to their first meeting.

Constable usually takes local taxis when traveling, but he said it's "a bit hit and miss in Abidjan" and that they don't yet have Uber, so they booked a hotel car to shuttle them between meetings.

Constable's first meeting of the day started at 9:00 a.m.

He was joined by a colleague from Dubai, Myriam, who "flips effortlessly between French and English," which made their meetings in primarily French-speaking Abidjan much more productive, he said.

Constable said these in-person meetings are crucial.

"In some parts of the world there is no substitute for developing relationships face-to-face, building trust and understanding of each other's objectives," he said. "This is a people business and I can't imagine there will ever be a time when my job can be done by a robot."

Constable usually tries to eat lunch with clients, but this time he had to eat on the run, grabbing a sandwich at 12:30 p.m. while taking a conference call with London, Frankfurt, and Hong Kong between meetings.

At 7 p.m., after another round of afternoon meetings, Constable had to choose between grabbing dinner before his evening flight home or squeezing in another half-hour workout at the hotel gym.

He opted for the workout because exercise makes it easier for him to sleep on the plane.

Constable was back at the airport for his flight home by 10 p.m.

"I take more than 50 flights a year yet I still love airports, despite how unproductive time spent there normally is," he said. "Most people are eagerly waiting for friends or relatives, or excited about traveling somewhere new, so the energy is always positive."

After working on the plane for much of the 15-hour flight, Constable landed in New York City the next afternoon and went for a two-hour bike ride "to regain all the energy I lost on the flight," he said.

After a couple of hours of work emails, he was in bed by 9:00 p.m.

• "Nobody outside of the Beltway really cares" if the Trump administration violates the Hatch Act, according to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
• The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from engaging in certain political activities, including campaign, while working in an official capacity. 
• The Trump administration has a history of violating the Hatch Act, which also helps ensure tax dollars are not used to advance a political campaign. 
• Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is being accused by Democrats of violating the Hatch Act by delivering an unprecedented RNC speech on a taxpayer-funded trip to the Middle East on Tuesday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Wednesday said that "nobody cares" if top members of the Trump administration are violating a federal law that helps to prevent taxpayer funds from going toward political campaigning. 

Meadows brushed off concerns pertaining to the law in relation to actions from the White House amid the Republican National Convention (RNC) this week. 

In a conversation with Politico on Wednesday, Meadows said, "What it's really designed to do is to make sure people like myself and others do not use their political position to try to convince other employees other federal employees that they need to vote one way, need to register one way or need to campaign in one way."

"We take it on well beyond the original intent of the Hatch Act," Meadows said. 

"Nobody outside of the Beltway really cares. They expect that Donald Trump is going to promote Republican values and they would expect that Barack Obama, when he was in office, that he would do the same for Democrats," Meadows added. "So listen, this is a lot of hoopla that's being made about things, mainly because the convention has been so unbelievably successful."

—POLITICO (@politico) August 26, 2020

In a Tuesday night tweet decrying those who downplay violations of the law, Walter Shaub, former director of the Office of Government Ethics Walter, said, "Anybody poo pooing the Hatch Act is ignorant of the fact that @US_OSC is aggressively going after low-level career government employees while holding the highest level officials with the most capacity to do harm to lower standards. The Hatch Act yet lives, just not for Trumpers."

The Hatch Act is a 1939 federal law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in certain political activities, including campaigning, while working in an official capacity. The law excludes the president and vice president. 

"The law's purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation," according to the US Office of Special Counsel (OSC).

A number of Trump officials have been accused of violating the Hatch Act, most recently Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. America's top diplomat broke protocol and delivered a controversial speech during the RNC on Tuesday while on a taxpayer-funded trip to Jerusalem. The move prompted fierce criticism from ethics watchdogs, Democrats, and diplomats, as well as allegations that Pompeo violated the Hatch Act. It was the first time in at least 75 years that a secretary of state spoke at a political convention, and therefore a highly unorthodox move. 

Acting Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf oversaw a naturalization ceremony during the RNC on Tuesday, raising questions as to whether he violated the Hatch Act by allowing his official duties to be exploited as Trump promoted his reelection campaign from the White House. 

In a tweet on the naturalization ceremony, the watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said, "This is so obviously, blatantly, insultingly a Hatch Act violation that it's starting to seem like the Trump administration is going out of its way to find new ways to violate the law." 

—Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 26, 2020

The Hatch Act explicitly prohibits federal employees from using their "official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election." 

Penalties for violations of the Hatch Act by federal employees includes "removal from federal service, reduction in grade, debarment from federal employment for a period not to exceed 5 years, suspension, reprimand, or a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000," according to the OSC.

The OSC, an independent federal agency, is responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act. Matters pertaining to the law are adjudicated before the Merit Systems Protection Board, an administrative agency.​

In November 2018, the OSC issued a report that six White House staffers had violated the Hatch Act by including Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again" or "MAGA," in tweets on their official accounts. 

And last June, the OSC determined that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway had violated the Hatch Act by "disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in an official capacity during television interviews and on social media." The OSC recommended firing Conway.

Subsequently, Conway defied a subpoena from the House Ethics Committee to testify on the matter. Conway remains a top member of the Trump administration.

House Democrats are launching an investigation into Pompeo's RNC speech as he faces allegations of violating the Hatch Act. 

Trump's decision to hold much of the RNC at the White House, turning it into a campaign venue, has also been heavily criticized in Washington and raised alarm bells among ethics watchdogs.