BEIRUT, Lebanon — After the August port explosion that disfigured much of Beirut, many compared the city to a phoenix that would rise again. “We are staying,” read some signs in the famous nightlife district of Mar Mikhael, one of the worst-hit neighborhoods. Down the main thoroughfare in Gemmayzeh, another badly damaged area whose graceful…
Details
LONE TREE, Colo. — Darcy Velasquez and her mother, Roberta Truax, were walking recently in the Park Meadows mall about 15 miles south of downtown Denver, looking for Christmas gifts for Ms. Velasquez’s two children, when they spotted a store with a display of rhinestone-studded masks. And while it has long been true that sparkles…
Details
On Tuesday, and not for the first time, Joseph R. Biden Jr. described President Trump’s reluctant attitude toward wearing masks as “macho.” Tomi Lahren, a conservative commentator and Fox Nation host, countered that Mr. Biden “might as well carry a purse with that mask.” They were among the most direct comments yet that have tied…
Details
Researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can survive for up to 28 days on common surfaces including banknotes, glass – such as that found on mobile phone screens – and stainless steel. The research, undertaken at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong,…
Details
A University of Waikato study has found that transgender people who have experienced stigma, including harassment, violence, and discrimination because of their identity are much more likely to have poor mental health outcomes. Based on the responses of 1,178 people who completed a national Aotearoa/New Zealand survey, the findings published in the International Journal of…
Details
A largescale global trial designed to test the theory that the widely-used BCG vaccine could help protect against COVID-19 will soon recruit healthcare staff and care home workers in the UK. The University of Exeter is leading the UK arm of the trial, called the ‘BCG vaccination to Reduce the impact of COVID-19 in healthcare…
Details
Sleep should be a welcome respite, but with our regular routines upended and an almost daily onslaught of anxiety-inducing news, many people are tossing and turning. A study published in June by the journal Sleep Medicine found a 37 percent increase in the rates of clinical insomnia among adults in China from before the peak…
Details
Even with outdoor dining this summer, many restaurants across the country have closed or remain on the brink of disaster — especially smaller, independently owned neighborhood businesses. Loyal patrons have rallied to support their favorite local restaurants, but as the pandemic drags on, business owners have had to hustle hard to stay afloat. With colder…
Details
When it comes to horror, no C.G.I. monstrosity is quite as terrifying as what your mind can conjure. We’ve collected some of the most delightful frights and spooky scintillations in audio drama and non-fiction podcasting. In this anthology podcast, the mountains of central Appalachia are haunted by the sort of sanity-draining eldritch monsters found in…
Details
Find an old receipt in your wallet. Feel that thin paper on your fingers, and look at the inky machine type. Why is this telling you to have a nice day? Did you? Instead of throwing the receipt away, draw it. It’s not only a marker of money spent — a replacement for the cash…
Details