Wednesday, 3 January 2024

How 'habit stacking' can improve your health right away.

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THIS IS TODAY

The president of Harvard resigns after the shortest tenure in the university's history, and Ian Ziering speaks out after a frightening confrontation with a group of bikers in Los Angeles. Plus, a plan to jumpstart your January health goals inspired by one woman's success with "habit stacking."

The Latest

🎓 Harvard University president resigned amid fallout from testimony and allegations of plagiarism.

Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned yesterday after facing scrutiny for testimony she gave at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism as well as allegations of plagiarism in her academic work. Gay's six-month tenure is the shortest in the university's 388-year history, according to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper. She was the first Black person and the second woman to lead the institution. Gay drew fierce criticism last month after she and her counterparts at UPenn and MIT appeared to sidestep the question of whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated their schools' conduct rules. She then faced allegations of plagiarism in her political science scholarship. Continue reading.

Ian Ziering said he and his daughter are OK after a brawl with a group of bikers that was caught on tape.

Former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Ian Ziering is speaking out against "lawlessness" after he said he recently had a physical altercation with a group of bikers who surrounded his vehicle while stuck in traffic in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Video obtained by TMZ showed Ziering, 59, exiting his car and getting in a fight with a group of bikers who were kicking and pounding their helmets on his vehicle. After the clash, Ziering could be seen consoling his 10-year-old daughter. The "Sharknado" star wrote on Instagram that he and his daughter were "unscathed" and said the incident "highlights a larger issue of hooliganism on our streets." No arrests have been made, and the LAPD has not commented on the incident. Continue reading.

🤒 Look for these 2 signs to know if you should take your sick child to the doctor.

As kids head back to school after the holidays, colds and viruses often follow. Dr. Vin Gupta, pulmonologist and TODAY medical contributor, shared 2 signs to know when children need medical attention. "If you have a very young child, say infant age, and they're having respiratory wheezing — you can actually hear them audibly wheezing — get them immediately seen," Gupta said. The second sign is if your child wakes up with a sore throat and fever, but is not coughing. It could be a sign of strep throat. Learn more about ways to protect yourself and your kids from respiratory illnesses here.

Alanis Morissette learns of her family's painful Holocaust history on 'Finding Your Roots'

Alanis Morissette didn't know of her Jewish heritage until she was 28. Now she's learning more about her Hungarian-Jewish ancestors in an upcoming episode of "Finding Your Roots." In an exclusive clip shared with TODAY, the singer found out her maternal grandfather reached out to the Red Cross for help finding two of his brothers who went missing during the Holocaust. "Not knowing where your sibling is, if they're alive or dead..." Morissette said as she tried to imagine what it was like for her grandfather. Watch more of Morissette's findings from the Jan. 2 episode here.

Start TODAY

Achieve your life and health goals with easy tips.

The Start TODAY walking challenge doesn't begin until Jan. 8, but why wait to start building healthy habits? Take time to prep your body with the January quick start guide, inspired by a Start TODAY member's success with habit stacking — adding habits on top of each other to help them stick. From starting a stretching routine to setting a daily water intake goal, these 6 steps will have you ready to tackle the upcoming 100-mile walking challenge. (And remember to sign up for your free TODAY account to access this guide and more Start TODAY stories.)

What's for dinner?

Allow us to do the meal-planning for you

If you're looking for a bit of heat for cold winter nights, check out Mother Wolf chef Evan Funke's rigatoni arrabbiata recipe. Funke's take on the Roman specialty uses "olio santo," an oil made from a blend of different chilis, to create the pasta's complex warmth. When served in Italy, the dish is actually pretty tame when it comes to spice. But Funke's spice level is the LA-inspired "troppo diavolicchio," which translates to "too much chili." Get the recipe.

Daily Delight

A little pick-me-up before you go.

There's a new member of the Melvin household! Craig welcomed Myles Copper Melvin, an Irish doodle puppy, to the family a few days after Christmas. The surprise began when Craig's children Delano, 9, and Sybil, 7, unwrapped dog toys and bowls for Christmas. The Melvins then traveled to Virginia on Dec. 30 to pick up Myles, and Craig said it's been a "magical few days" since he's joined the fam. See more photos of Myles here.