Black people working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic spoke to President Joe Biden on Tuesday, describing the struggles they’ve faced during the COVID-19 crisis and encouraging anyone who can get vaccinated to do so. At a virtual roundtable event that also featured a pharmacist, a child care worker and a firefighter, grocery […]
This crunchy snack is an American success story. On a mild morning in November 1979, when a group of students clambered over the walls of the American Embassy in Tehran, I, the modest pistachio, might have been the furthest thing from everyone’s mind. As that day turned into an infamous hostage crisis, few were likely […]
It’s a symbol of health and revolution. You thought I was just brewed leaves and nothing more, but pinkies out, folks, and prepare to be impressed. I’m the most consumed drink in the world next to water. I have launched ships and started wars, and I helped birth your country. The culture of sipping me […]
People aren’t always great at predicting precisely how they’ll behave in the future. That’s one of the reasons it’s tricky to poll them on hypothetical questions, whether it’s asking if they’ll vote in an election or ― more relevant at the moment ― if they’ll take a coronavirus vaccine. Surveys right now are unlikely to […]
Figuring out if you have COVID-19 vs. the flu can be a challenge. With both seasonal flu and coronavirus hitting their peaks right about now, it’s important to know the signs of each illness. But these two viral infections have several overlapping symptoms so it’s not always clear which one you might have. First off, […]
They’re tearfully delicious. In 1955, a farmer named Vince Kosuga had a villainous idea: He would corner the market on me, the common onion. Kosuga set about buying up all the onions in the country, storing millions of pounds of me in the cavernous, corrugated warehouses he built on his New York farm and around […]
Feeling like you have a bloated stomach at various points throughout the day is a completely normal and common experience. There’s nothing wrong with experiencing minor bloating after, say, having a meal. Even if it’s uncomfortable, it’s usually temporary. Let’s all just thank evolving fashion technology for elastic waistbands and not make ourselves feel bad […]
When should you tell someone you may have exposed them to COVID-19? How do you tell them? Questions like these are top of mind for many after this week’s news that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus. They’re questions that maybe Trump and his team should have […]
A magic, wild, meaty treat. I am not an animal, a plant, or a mineral. Take a minute to get your head around what a crafty 20 Questions choice that makes me, infuriating little brothers and sisters on car rides everywhere. “What is it?” they shout, to which their torturer finally answers: I, mushroom, am […]
You’ve been feeling exhausted, depleted and disengaged from work for a while now. Is it job stress? Or is it burnout? The terms “stress” and “burnout” are sometimes used interchangeably. They exist on the same spectrum, but there are some key differences. For one, stress that’s temporary or tied to a particular event is a […]
Almonds are the healthy nut (only not). If you’ve never seen a harvest machine shake my tree, sending almond fruits spraying into the sky like an explosion of glinting confetti, I recommend googling it for a small thrill. Then, next time you encounter a farmer who calls his wares “ammonds,” you’ll understand the joke when […]
Testing poop in sewage may be an efficient way to monitor the spread of coronavirus ― and it could even predict a second wave. In Scotland, sewage is being tested for traces of the virus ― specifically, COVID-19 ribonucleic acid (RNA) ― as part of a trial monitoring the spread of the infection. Samples from […]
The story of tomatoes is somewhat of an American love story. You know me as pure warm-weather joy. You know that when you eat me whole like a fruit (that’s what I am!), I’ll burst all over your shirt if you don’t slurp carefully. What you might not know is that while I feel like […]
“How are you today?” “How was your weekend?” “How’s it going?” As a Black woman and medical student in the often lonely world of higher education, I’ve learned to respond to these questions with a smile painted on my face and a “Fine, how about you?” Even when I am feeling devastated, I sit and […]
Learn all about the king of the ocean. You may think of me as palatable and bland, the sight of me packed into cans reminiscent of school lunches and childhood picnics. But here’s what they don’t tell the kids: There’s very little that’s tame about me. One of the ocean’s fastest fish, I can grow […]