Crafters and scrapbookers are onto something. According to research done by the Mayo Clinic, people who regularly get crafty are less likely to suffer from age-related memory or thinking problems.
And it holds true whether you like to paint, draw, build models, sew, or scrapbook. And you can get the brain benefits even if you take up the hobby in middle age or later in life. It lowers the risk of cognitive impairment up to 73%!
All those activities protect your neurons from dying, which are the building blocks of your brain. And it works in two ways.
First, because all those activities are detail-oriented and involve problem-solving, even on a small level – so you’re giving your brain a workout.
Crafting also involves repetition, which our brain finds relaxing. And that stimulation plus stress-relief is a one-two punch that protects the brain.
So what if you’re not artsy in the least? You can get the samemental boost by attending virtual book clubs or cooking.
Our pumpkin spice obsession is real! OnePoll conducted research, asking 2,000 adults how they felt about the seasonal flavor…
And 80% are on the pumpkin spice bandwagon!
So why do we go so crazy for pumpkin spice? Catherine Franssen is a biopsychology professor at Longwood University in Virginia… and she says, it all has to do with how our brains respond to nostalgia and marketing. For example…
Just smelling pumpkin spice taps into our sense of nostalgia, because we’ve come to associate it with fall and family time. And smell is the only one of our senses that’s transmitted directly to the emotional center of the brain. So the scent becomes a portal to happy times from our past.
Another big factor is how it’s marketed. Pumpkin spice is only available for a limited time – which is an example of what’s known as “reactance theory.” Essentially, when we feel our choices – or our window of opportunity – is limited, we feel an urgency to take advantage of that freedom while it exists. So we “react” more strongly to something when we know it’ll be gone soon.
And that’s the science behind the popularity of pumpkin spice!
To get a better night’s sleep: Put down your electronic gadgets an hour before bed, and read a book instead! Here’s why:
First: You’ll be less stressed. Research at the University of Sussex found reading for just 6 minutesreduces stress by up to 68%. That’s a bigger drop than from walking, drinking hot tea, or listening to mellow music.
As a result, a survey of 1,000 people found that those who read before bed slept nearly an hour longer than non-readers, on average. In fact, nearly three-quarters of the respondents said they had a harder time falling asleep if they didn’t read something.
Part of it might be that reading tires your eyes out enough for you to fall asleep. That’s according to neurology professor, Dr. Raman Malhotra, at the Washington University Sleep Center in Missouri. Dr. Malhotra says that focusing on the words you’re reading can make your eyes feel heavy and ready for sleep.
Reading can also tire out your brain. Research shows sustained reading trains our brain to concentrate and solve complex problems. And when we’re engrossed in a story, it distracts us from the problems of the day. And when our mental energy is depleted – and our body is in a comfortable, stationary position while reading – our breathing and heart rate slow, putting us in the ideal state for sleep.
(NEW YORK) — As millions of kids head back to school this fall, “World News Tonight” has followed three incredible teachers caring for students in and outside the classroom.
In Washington D.C., Imani Baucom teaches at the Bilingual Public Charter School. She said her students’ safety comes first.
“The kids are really happy to be back… Walking to class. Masks on,” said Baucom. “We just remember to put the kids first, to put our health first, and to just take it one day at a time.”
With some students and teachers returning to in-person learning amid the pandemic, some adjustments are having to be made.
World News Tonight previously reported that Jennifer Martin, who lives outside of Austin, Texas, turned her garage into a library. With the help of “World News Tonight” viewers, she has now collected more than 4,000 books and 350 students have visited her library.
“Thanks to supporters from all over the country,” Martin said. “It’s important to continue this effort because once you grow a reader. A reader needs books to read.”
Across the country, in Livermore, California, Heidi Robinson has been going the extra mile — quite literally.
Robinson, who teaches at Marylin Avenue Elementary School, had delivered lesson plans door-to-door during the pandemic and sent her students many virtual hugs along the way.
Nearly a year and a half later, Robinson reports that the class is back together again.
“We are back in school full time! Wearing masks so we’re all very safe,” said Robinson.
Robinson said virtual hugs have been replaced with elbow bumps and she hopes that progress will only continue.
“We are so incredibly happy to be back in school,” she said. “With challenges behind us and lots of hope ahead of us.”
Janelle Monae is partnering with Martell cognac to ‘inspire others to be unapologetically themselves and create their own path.”
The Hidden Figures star is the spokesperson for the new “Soar Beyond the Expected” campaign designed to recognize “those who live life on their own terms, approach their desires with unmatched passion and manifest their personal truths.”
“I have never seen myself as just one thing, and I made sure no one else could either, by staying true to myself, making my own path, rising above expectations, and opening the door for others be their true selves,” the eight-time Grammy nominee says in an Instagram video.
Monae has successfully combined acting and music over her 15-year career. She is CEO of her Wondaland Arts Society record label, and was named Billboard‘s Trailblazer of the Year in 2018.
While inspiring others to be unapologetically themselves and create their own path, Janelle Monae stands out among the rest.” Martell commented on Instagram. “By redefining conventions and turning the world upside down,@janellemonae encourages others to soar beyond expectations and drive positive change.”
Shinedown‘s Brent Smith and Zach Myers have announced a tour with their Smith & Myers side project.
The run will kick off November 30 in Memphis, Tennessee, and will wrap up December 18 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 24, at 10 a.m. local time.
Smith & Myers released two albums, Volume 1 and Volume 2, last year. Both records included a mix of covers and original work.
Shinedown, meanwhile, will continue their current tour this Tuesday in Bonner Springs, Kansas. The group’s headlining run is scheduled to wrap up in October.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 672,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 63.6% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 20, 5:39 pm
US records 1.1 million pediatric COVID-19 cases over past 5 weeks
The U.S. reported more than 225,000 child COVID-19 cases, marking the fourth consecutive week with over 200,000 new pediatric cases reported, according to a newly released weekly report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
In the last five weeks alone, the country has reported more than 1.1 million pediatric cases, according to the organizations.
“The weekly figure is now about 26 times higher than it was in June, when just 8,400 pediatric cases were reported over the span of a week,” the organizations wrote in their report.
The South accounted for about half –110,000– of last week’s pediatric cases, according to the report.
The organizations added that more than 2,200 children are hospitalized with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection.
Sep 20, 3:27 pm
NYC updates school testing, quarantine guidelines
One week after public schools opened for the new school year, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced new changes to student testing.
Starting Sept. 27, students in all grade levels will be tested weekly instead of bi-weekly. In addition, any student who is in a classroom with a positive case won’t have to quarantine if they were masked and three feet distant, according to the mayor.
“We’ve been looking at these two issues over the last few weeks. We looked at it in light of the data from the first week of school, we decided to make both of these changes simultaneously, and they do complement each other,” de Blasio said during his daily news conference.
The United Federation of Teachers had pushed the mayor to switch to weekly testing. All teachers must have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27, as part of the city’s mandate for education employees.
Sep 20, 1:55 pm
CVS to hire 25,000 in preparation for flu season, booster shots
CVS Health is launching a major hiring spree to fill 25,000 clinical and retail jobs in preparation for an expected increase in vaccine and testing demand in the months ahead.
The move is in anticipation of the need for COVID-19 booster shots and flu vaccines.
The positions will largely be for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and nurses at their retail locations to be filled “as soon as possible,” the company announced Monday.
Pharmacy executives predict a far greater staffing need than usual this year, especially should flu season get severe and if COVID-19 boosters become authorized for more expanded groups. Pharmacies are also hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s scenes of slammed testing sites and the chaotic start to the vaccine rollout.
“Every flu season we need additional team members,” said Neela Montgomery, the executive vice president of CVS health and the president of CVS Pharmacy. “But this year we’re looking for even more. With the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities, we’re estimating a much greater need for pharmacists, trained pharmacy technicians, nurses, and retail store associates. These jobs offer a rewarding opportunity to really make an impact on public health in our country.”
A virtual hiring event Friday will spearhead the recruiting push.
Sep 20, 12:56 pm
Booster shot recommendations still unclear, says acting FDA commissioner
There is still uncertainty and questions to be answered regarding whether all Americans will be recommended to receive booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, said acting U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock.
Woodcock spoke with former senior White House COVID-19 response adviser Andy Slavitt on his podcast program “The Bubble” on Monday, raising questions on what the booster shots may or may not do and discussing any uncertainties that could have factored into the FDA’s decision to recommend boosters only for high-risk Americans and those over the age of 65.
Right now, the FDA does not know enough about how an additional shot will impact transmissibility or about cellular immunity and whether T-cells are protected, among other factors, Woodcock said.
“Basically the FDA decision is, do the overall benefits outweigh the potential harms for any given vaccination and that’s how to proceed,” Woodcock said. “But obviously individuals benefit from not having a transmissible virus circulating around.”
Sep 20, 12:28 pm
Average daily death count rises by 20%
In the wake of weeks of increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the U.S. is once again experiencing a surge in virus-related deaths.
The average number of deaths in the U.S. has risen to more than 1,500 per day, an increase of about 20% in the last week and nearly eight times the death average from two months ago, when the national average dropped to a near-low of 191 deaths reported each day, according to data from the CDC and the Department of Health & Human Services.
Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C. are seeing increasing case averages, while seven states are experiencing increasing hospital admissions, according to the HHS.
However, overall hospitalizations in the U.S. are down, with about 10,000 fewer patients currently hospitalized compared to three weeks ago.
About 93,000 Americans are currently hospitalized. In recent weeks, there had been more than 103,000 patients receiving care across the country.
The drop is largely attributed to plummeting figures in Florida, where there are nearly 10,000 fewer patients hospitalized now, compared to a month ago.
The presence of the virus is shifting away from states in the deep South such as Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, and further into other regions of the country that were not as hard hit in the first delta surge.
Tennessee and West Virginia currently have the country’s highest case rate, followed by Alaska, South Carolina, Wyoming, Montana and Kentucky, which all have case rates above 500 per 100,000 people.
Sep 19, 2:40 pm
The FDA booster decision shows the process worked: Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci defended the White House’s plan to provide COVID-19 vaccine booster shots before the Food and Drug Administration voted to only provide those shots to Americans 65 and older and immunocompromised.
Fauci told ABC This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz that he was not disappointed by the panel’s decision and he thinks the process worked.
“The goal of this particular decision was to prevent people from getting serious disease who are at risk, such as the elderly and those that have underlying conditions,” he said.
When pressed whether the president’s premature announcement would confuse Americans, Fauci said that people need to understand that such decisions depend on science and approvals by the appropriate health agencies.
“The plan was that we have to be ready to do this as soon as the decision is made and when you have a plan, you put a date on it and you say we want to be able to get ready to roll out on the week of September the 20th,” he said. “So giving that date, I don’t think was confusing.”
Sep 17, 11:22 pm
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s children test positive, he tests negative
Two of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four children have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a spokesperson.
“Yesterday, two of the Governor’s children tested positive for COVID-19,” Erin Mellon, spokesperson in the governor’s office, said in a statement. “The Governor, the First Partner and their two other children have since tested negative. The family is following all COVID protocols.”
“The Newsoms continue to support masking for unvaccinated individuals indoors to stop the spread and advocate for vaccinations as the most effective way to end this pandemic,” she added.
The governor’s office did not specify which of his children tested positive but he has two sons, Hunter and Dutch, and two daughters, Montana and Brooklynn. Children under 12 are not yet eligible for the vaccine. All of his children are under 12, though Montana turns 12 on Saturday.
The week has been an eventful one for the governor. On Tuesday, Newsom survived a recall attempt with 64% of voters choosing “no.” Removing him from office would’ve taken more than 50% voting in favor of the recall. Radio host Larry Elder was the leading candidate to replace Newsom had the effort succeeded.
Sep 17, 5:32 pm
White House to hold virtual COVID-19 summit next week
The White House is planning to hold a virtual COVID-19 summit with world leaders next week, officials announced Friday.
President Joe Biden will convene the summit Wednesday amid the U.N. General Assembly, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
The meeting will focus on “expanding and enhancing our shared efforts to defeat COVID-19,” according to Psaki, including equitable vaccine access and making therapeutics and tests more available.
More information will be available in the coming days, she said.
(NEW YORK) — A massive search is continuing in southern Florida for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who went missing on a cross-country trip and who authorities say is “consistent with the description” of a body discovered on Sunday in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.
The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie is centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said Laundrie returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.
Laundrie has been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie has refused to speak to the police and has not been seen since Tuesday, Sept. 14, according to law enforcement officials.
The search for Laundrie is the latest twist in the case that has grabbed national attention as he and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media.
Petito’s parents, who live in Long Island, New York, reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.
Latest headlines:
– Car Brian Laundrie last used was parked in parents’ driveway: Authorities
– FBI descends on Florida home of Brian Laundrie’s parents
– Search of vast Florida swamp preserve ‘exhausted’: Police
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern.
Sep 20, 6:34 pm
FBI ends search at Laundrie residence
The FBI Tampa office tweeted Monday evening that they ended their search of the Laundrie residence North Port, Florida.
“No further details since this is an ongoing investigation,” the office tweeted.
Sep 20, 5:29 pm
Search warrant last week uncovered hard drive, revealed Petito’s last text
Details of a search warrant executed last week by Florida investigators looking into Gabby Petito’s disappearance were revealed Monday.
This warrant, filed by the North Port Police Department this past Wednesday, wasn’t associated with the FBI activity at the Laundrie family’s North Port home Monday.
Police say that after they searched the 2012 Ford Transit van, crime scene technicians found an external hard drive that they believed “may contain viable digital forensic data that could assist in the location” of Petito, court documents said.
A detective said Petito’s mother received an “odd text” from the 22-year-old, on Aug. 27, — making it likely the last communication from Petito, according to court documents.
The text asked Petito’s mom, “Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls,” referring to Petito’s grandfather, who she “never” refers to as Stan, according to her mother.
Sep 20, 4:14 pm
911 caller claimed he saw Brian Laundrie ‘slapping’ Gabby Petito
The Grand County, Utah, Sheriff’s Office released on Monday a 911 recording from August in which a caller claimed he witnessed Brian Laundrie allegedly “slapping” Gabby Petito and chasing her up and down a sidewalk hitting her.
In the recording of the 911 call from Aug. 12, the caller, whose name was not released, claimed he saw an apparent domestic dispute unfold on Main Street in Moab between a young couple driving a white van with Florida license plates.
“We drove by, and the gentleman was slapping the girl,” the caller told a 911 dispatcher. “And then we stopped. They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and drove off.”
Moab Police Department Chief Bret Edge said last week that his officers responded to the incident, located the van and pulled the couple over. Moab police released body camera footage of the traffic stop and wrote in a report that the couple, identified as Laundrie and Petito, admitted to arguing and that Petito had slapped Laundrie.
The couple also stated to police that Laundrie did not hit Petito, according to the report.
After speaking to Petito and Laundrie separately, the police allowed the couple to go on their way. Edge said “insufficient evidence existed to justify criminal charges.”
Sep 20, 1:44 pm
Car Brian Laundrie last used was parked in parents’ driveway: Authorities
A Ford Mustang convertible authorities believe Brian Laundrie used to purportedly drive himself to the Carlton Reserve near North Port, Florida, was parked in the driveway of his family’s home when FBI agents served a search warrant there on Monday.
Laundrie’s parents told authorities he went to the nearly 25,000-acre preserve on Tuesday, which is the last time they claim they saw him, according to the family’s attorney.
Steven Bertolino, the Laundrie family attorney, told ABC News that the family picked up the car on Thursday morning from the reserve after going out on Wednesday to look for Laundrie.
Laundrie left his family’s home on Tuesday morning with a backpack, Bertolino said. He said that when family members went to the reserve to look for him, they spotted a note left on the car from the North Port Police Department saying it needed to be removed.
Bertolino said the family left the car overnight “so he [Laundrie] could drive back.” When Laundrie didn’t come home Thursday morning, the family went back to retrieve the car, the attorney said.
The family called the police on Friday to file a missing person report, authorities said.
Journey’s Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon & Arnel Pineda; Courtesy of Journey
Journey is putting the finishing touches on their first album of new original material since 2011’s Eclipse, and according to band members Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, the project’s got that classic Journey sound — but with a new twist.
Speaking to Cleveland.com, Schon says of the new music, “We’re moving forward…It still sounds like Journey, but there is definitely a different strut in the rhythm section with Randy and Narada” — referring to the band’s returning bass player Randy Jackson and new drummer Narada Michael Walden, respectively.
The album is being worked on remotely by Schon and Walden on the West Coast, and Cain in Nashville and Florida, the band explains. “It’s typical Journey, I think,” Cain says. “We’re back to our old sound, but it’s got a little bit more on the bottom end.”
“It’s got fire. It’s just a little bit more edge to it. Neal’s playing his butt off, and it’s very driven, very cool. The songs came very interestingly. I like it a lot,” he adds.
One way the new album — which doesn’t have a release date yet — will pay tribute to Journey’s legacy is via the artwork: The package is being designed by Jim Welch, who worked on the classic Infinity, Departure and Escape albums.
The first single from the album, “The Way We Used to Be,” came out in June.
Last week, Guns N’ Roses‘ albums Use Your Illusion 1 & 2 marked their 30th anniversaries. While former GNR drummer Matt Sorum told ABC Audio that it was Axl Rose‘s idea to release two albums simultaneously, he’s now explained to Rolling Stone exactly why Rose came up with the idea, which he calls “genius.”
As Sorum explains, the band had about 32 songs, and he assumed they would record 20 and then pick the best 12 or 13 for an album. Then, Axl insisted that they release all the songs, and came up with the concept of two albums with the same name, but different-colored covers.
“I was like, ‘Why? Why do we have to make them separate records?’” Sorum recalls. But, as he explains, it was due to Axl’s experience working at Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in L.A.
“In those days, if you had a double record, you had to put it behind the cash register. It was over 20 bucks,” Sorum says. “He wanted the records to be in the bin where you could actually hold them, pick them up.”
“When Axl came in and decided it should be a double record, it was a genius moment for him,” Sorum adds.
Sorum spoke to Rolling Stone to promote his upcoming autobiography, Double Talkin’ Jive, which Rolling Stone says has been indefinitely delayed. In the book, he describes being on tour with Slash and Duff in 2016 and hearing a rumor that GNR was going to reunite…without him.
While it hurt at the time, Sorum now says he’s “come to terms with the fact that they’re doing their own thing, and I’m doing mine,” and adds, “I feel really good about my time in the band.”
