Author: Reporter

In the Trump administration’s quest to “Make America Healthy Again,” there may be no bigger target than ultraprocessed foods. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s new health secretary, has cited “highly chemically processed foods” as a chief culprit behind an epidemic of chronic disease in the U.S., including ailments such as obesity, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. Such foods are “poisoning” people, particularly children, Kennedy said during Senate confirmation hearings. He has vowed to work to remove such foods from federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. “I will do everything in my power to put...

You can have your cake and eat it too, just do it slowly. Experts tend to focus on the kinds of foods you can eat to improve your health. But the speed at which you devour your dinner matters just as much. There are risks with eating too fast — think stuck food and the potential to overeat before your brain tells you to stop. Inhaling your food also risks annoying your slower-paced dining companions or the person who took the time to cook your meal. Here are some tips from scientists on how to slow down and take...

When Claire Paré was a classroom teacher, working in a setting where every minute, down to the bathroom breaks, was scheduled, she brought granola bars, fruit, and protein shakes to school so she would be prepared when hunger hits. Then she transitioned to a job at education publisher McGraw Hill. Working remotely at home in New Hampshire, her children’s cheddar bunny crackers and Fruit Roll-Ups lured her to the pantry, confounding her commitment to healthy snacking. “I have the opportunity to be judicious, but I choose not to most of the time,” Paré said. “I really do enjoy being...

One way to be climate-friendly is to shop sustainably. But figuring out which products count as “sustainable” can be hard, especially when buying online. As ordering with a computer or phone becomes more ubiquitous, the number of online products labeled sustainable is also increasing. Yet there is no single seal of approval across e-commerce platforms that verifies whether something is climate-friendly, partly because there are multiple ways to define sustainability. Third-party nonprofit organizations study manufacturers and sellers’ practices and offer certifications that are displayed online. Government programs such as the Agriculture Department’s organic certification or Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy...

Every night some 74,000 gallons of water are frozen at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. The hospital used to get all of its air conditioning from a conventional system found in most U.S. buildings, but now 27 tanks of ice sustain a network of cold-water pipes keeping operating rooms at safe temperatures and patients comfortable. This type of thermal energy storage, also known as ice batteries, is being added to buildings in the U.S. for its ability to provide cool air without releasing planet-warming emissions. These systems cut electricity usage and lower the strain on the grid. With...

Two things can be true at once. K-pop is an inextricable force in global pop culture, and it has long been undercelebrated at institutions like the Grammys, where K-pop artists have performed but have never taken home a trophy. That could change at the 68th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 1. Songs released by K-pop artists, or K-pop-adjacent artists, more on that later — have received nominations in the big four categories for the first time. Rosé, perhaps best known as one-fourth of the juggernaut girl group Blackpink, is the first K-pop artist to ever receive a nomination in...