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In a heartwarming tale out of Trenton, NJ, a group of elementary school students are learning firsthand the importance of giving back to their community. Five years ago, a non-profit called Christine's Hope for Kids partnered with the Trenton Catholic Academy Lower School for the Pajama Day program. Since then, it's become one of the non-profit's most popular programs and spread to other New Jersey elementary schools. To raise money, the kids and their families pay a small fee to be able to wear their pajamas to school. Christine's Hope for Kids then matches the funds the students raise dollar-for-dollar. Those funds are then used to buy pajamas, teddy bears, books, toothbrushes, and other toiletries for local homeless children. "Pajamas are fun clothing for kids, especially when ...

Marketers have been predicting that mobile Internet use will surpass Internet access from laptop and desktop computers for years. And it's finally happened in at least one major country: the U.K. According to research published in Ofcom's yearly Communications Market Report, "Smartphones are now considered the most important way of staying connected by 33% of Brits, with 30% preferring their laptops." Just last year, the majority of Brits (40%) used laptops to browse the Web, while smartphones lagged behind at 22%. Similarly, smartphones are "the most widely owned web-connected device, with a presence in 66% of [British] households compared with a 65% figure for laptops," Engadget reports. A drop in prices for 4G services and faster load times are a big part of the shift. Mobile Int...

If you've been lazy about washing and replacing your bedding, it's time to kick that bad habit. A recent study has shown just how much your mattress, sheets, and pillows can affect your quality of life. According to the Daily Mail, the bed specialists at Dreams conducted a scientific study of eight-year-old mattresses to determine how much bacteria a bed can absorb over the course of its lifespan. The results, to say the least, are quite unnerving. Researchers said that every single mattress they studied was riddled with high levels of bacteria, and part of the study was learning why they tend to get so germ-infested over time. "As mattresses tend to get warm during the night, molds, yeasts, and bacteria -- which thrive in humid conditions -- can build up to worrying levels," said...

Texas health officials have filed a motion in the state appeals court to request that the state override a ruling by District Judge Tim Sulak who, this past September, stopped health officials from cutting payments to a pediatric therapy program. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is hoping to have Sulak’s decision overturned and it’s arguing that Sulak “overstepped his bounds,” says the Texas Tribune. GOP Senate leaders have been trying to reduce Medicaid spending in Texas; earlier this year, they ordered the state’s health commission to reduce state funding by $100 million. According to Chron.com, the proposed cuts could result in the loss of $200 million of federal funds as well, since the federal government matches state contributions. The majority of funding cuts ...

In Denver, a 156-foot, 155-ton crane recently collapsed in the River North district, mildly injuring a construction worker. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there was an average of 82 crane-related deaths between 1997 and 2006. Although no one was killed in the Denver incident, it highlights the danger faced by many construction workers. The construction industry couldn't function without the operation of cranes, from mobile "cherry pickers" to massive industrial cranes. Not only is construction one of the most important trades in North America, it's also one of the most dangerous. And as the most visible piece of equipment at most construction sites, crane failures often receive the most media attention. "Ground conditions, including underground hazards, soil composition,...

By now, it's a well-worn cliche that young people are too busy playing Minecraft and using Snapchat to read books anymore. At the same time, reports that young students' math and reading test scores have dropped recently are filling many parents with anxiety. According to the Nation's Report Card (officially known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress), average math scores for students in fourth and eight grade declined from 2013 to 2015. While average reading scores for the nation's fourth graders remained unchanged, eighth graders' reading scores also dropped. Not only that, but the achievement gap between poor and wealthy students stayed the same. The results are all the more disappointing because they follow years of rising test scores. Still, Peggy Carr, the head of...

"Blow-dryer anxiety is a thing..." So says Allure Associate Beauty Editor Lexi Novac on the magazine's Daily Beauty Reporter blog. She goes on, "See, I have curly hair, and since most of the top dryers don't come with a diffuser attachment, they leave my hair a sad, stringy, stretched-out mess. Well, I say enough with the silky-straight oppression." And while oppression might seem like a hyperbolic choice of words for a discussion about curly hair, it no doubt rings true for 11-year-old Makayla Fallaw. The Texan pre-teen was reportedly kicked off her cheerleading squad for her curly hair. Rather, she was allegedly kicked off the squad after she refused to straighten her curly locks, as per her team's competition guidelines. Makayla has been participating in cheerleading since she ...

The Coleman Company Inc. is arguably the largest camping brand in the world. With an annual revenue of over $1 billion coming from thousands of products, they are now hitting reset on their infamous brand. The company says that in addition to the 100 new products they introduced this year, they will be adding another 130 in 2016. Many of the new products integrate new technology with camping gear. “Our short-term plan is to surprise people,” said Emily Donahue, a Coleman product line manager. In interviews with Gear Junkie over the last month, Donahue and Mike Otterman, Coleman’s VP of global marketing and merchandising, talked about Coleman's brand reboot and how it will move forward. They say that big changes are coming for the company and its products. Basically, rather than...