The Daily Valet. - 10/18/22, Tuesday

✔️ Finally, Some Relief

Tuesday, October 18th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Today’s vocabulary word is “biophilic” … you’ll find out what it means below.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Student Debt Relief Now Live

The White House says more than 8 million Americans have already applied for student loan forgiveness

On Monday, President Biden announced the application for the government’s student loan relief program is officially live. He called the debt relief a “game changer” and noted that more than 40 million Americans will be able to benefit from the program.

The administration published a beta version of the application last week. According to NPR, since it launched on Friday, more than 8 million borrowers have already applied for debt relief, with no reported glitches or crashes. (The beta testing allowed applications to be submitted, but they were not processed until the formal launch.)

Simplicity seems to be the goal of the application process. The form—which can be found at StudentAid.gov—is available in English and Spanish, and is accessible on both mobile and desktop devices. It asks for your dates of birth, Social Security number and contact information. Applicants do not have to upload any documents and the whole process takes about five minutes.

The application will be open through Dec. 31, 2023. Borrowers who would like their balances adjusted before student loan payments restart in January should submit applications before Nov. 15, the White House said.

Although debt relief advocates celebrated the move, some have criticized the administration’s plan, in particular the short window of time between when the site opens and when the next round of payments is due. The plan has also faced a number of legal challenges as well as criticism from Republicans, along with some Democrats in battleground states.

But higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz told CNBC that if your loans are forgiven before a lawsuit gets in the way, “you probably get to keep your forgiveness.” So if you plan on applying, get that application in ASAP.

↦ FYI: About 95% of Americans with college loans are expected to qualify for forgiveness, while the remainder earn too much money and are ineligible.

The Real Price of Menu Hacks

From secret menus to app hacks, these saves are making workers’ lives hell

The menu “hack” has been around probably as long as fast food. Over the past few decades, people have delighted in sharing their knowledge of the “secret menu.” Like knowing about In-N-Out's “animal style” fries or a Chick-fil-A’s strawberry lemonade.

But over the past few years, the practice has shifted into overdrive, proliferated by social media. Thanks to online ordering apps, these hacks are more complicated than ever—asking for two sauces or extra-crispy fries no longer cuts it. According to Eater, videos now detail ways to get cheaper burritos, rainbow layered lattes, and Big Macs at half the normal price.

But the process of rigging your order to score a Pumpkin Spice Latte for $2.45 instead of the regular $6.45 is making it overly complicated for employees. And some companies, like Chipotle, are attempting to crack down on app loopholes that are likely losing them money.

Fortune reports that baristas are stuck in the middle. One Starbucks employee explained that when an order sticker looks like a CVS receipt, it's pretty obvious that the customer wants a PSL without paying for it. But there's a lot of legwork involved, along with some bending of the rules that often gets them in trouble with management.

↦ Beware: When an order gets too brazen, some Starbucks workers say they simply delete the order.

Biophilic Skyscraper Opens in Singapore

In some areas of Singapore, companies are legally bound to keep areas green

The newest contribution to Singapore's reputation as a city engaging in biophilic design is the CapitaSpring high-rise, which is located at the center of the financial zone and is bursting with more than 80,000 trees and plants.

The Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group, which designed the tower, refers to it as “biophilic,” an increasingly popular term that describes the integration of nature and design. “Due to the unique character of Singapore's urbanism—both extremely dense and green—we decided to make the design a vertical exploration of tropical urbanism,” BIG's founder, Bjarke Ingels, told CNN, adding that the tower is “like a vision of a future in which city and countryside, culture and nature can coexist.”

The building's form is defined by the “pulling apart” of the building at multiple elevations, revealing its green interior. In fact, the vertical soft scape of the green oasis mimics the plant hierarchy of tropical rainforests, with shade-tolerant plants with large leaves found on the “rainforest floor,” requiring the least amount of direct light, and trees defined by their smaller leaf structure on the “roof” of the rainforest. Furthermore, the tower's rooftop garden is home to Singapore's highest urban farm, which grows over 150 different types of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.

In a country that packs almost 6 million people into an area less than half the size of London, building green spaces is not merely an act of corporate generosity—it's a legal requirement in some areas. Singapore has long promoted itself as a “garden city,” a term famously applied to the country by its founding father and former prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, in the 1960s.

Lufthansa Unveils a New First Class

The German carrier just debuted the plans for a rediculously luxe cabin suite

More than a decade after seizing the mantle as one of the poshest ways to fly to Europe and refusing to let go, the next generation of Lufthansa First Class and Business Class seats are finally on the way.

According to The Points Guy, the new onboard product, called “Allegris” by the airline, is actually a nose-to-tail upgrade across all cabins. Which means even for those in Economy. There's an all new Sleeper's Row, which will feature greater seat pitch, a fold-up leg rest and a mattress for extra comfort.

But back to these new First Class seats. They will now have privacy doors and “nearly ceiling-high walls.” You've got your own personal wardrobe, along with other storage and come bedtime, you will be able to change into the provide pajamas in the privacy of your own suite. You can even eat with your fellow first-class fliers via a dining table.

Business class passengers will also see improvements. The higher walls afford more privacy and the seats will be able to convert into six-foot-long flat-out beds. You'll also enjoy a 27-inch monitor with Bluetooth connectivity. And everything is as stylish as a private jet.

↦ Meanwhile: The airline has awkwardly abandoned the AirTag ban that caused quite the commotion last week.

In Other News

↦ BTS Is Taking a Break From Running Pop Music to Enlist in the South Korean Military

↦ How the Cost of Living Crisis Is Impacting the Way We Date

↦ What It Actually Means When Your Eyes Are ‘Tired,’ According to an Ophthalmologist and Optician

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

James Corden’s bad behavior

Adults-only TikTok

Olivia Wilde’s salad dressing

The Ultimate Skincare Game Plan

The order in which you apply your grooming products matters, according to experts

Men are using more skin care products than ever before.By next year, the men's personal care industry is predicted to hit $166 billion, according to Allied Market Research.

But the boost in guys caring for their skin has come with some confusion. You've now got eye cream to combat fine lines and maybe a serum to hydrate skin, along with a spot treatment for blemishes and a daily SPF moisturizer. Perhaps you're experimenting with retinols or face oils. The question now is, “Can I just slap them on or is there a specific order to applying my lotions and potions?”

The answer, dermatologists told us, is that the order matters. If you don't layer your products in the right way, you might render them ineffective or, worse, irritate your skin. You don't have to do all the steps we discuss, but you do want to follow the general order to get the most out of your products.

↦ Read: How to apply your products in the right order to get the most from the active ingredients.

3 Ways to Wear a Sweater Polo

When you think of heirloom gifts, you think of items like watches or blankets. But what about a cashmere sweater? Thirty years after a cashmere sweater was made that his dad passed down to him, Todd Kozan was inspired to create his brand. Billie Todd offers a luxurious collection of men's knitwear that blends classic construction with a modern sensibility.

Polo sweaters are definitely having a moment this fall, as brands like Norse Projects, Buck Mason and Alex Mill are all offering some great options. Billie Todd just recently launched their own knit polo, which I'm already a fan of. We caught up with the man behind the cashmere to see what he suggests pairing with the new polo.

↦ the Looks: 3 ways to sport a sweater polo this fall