Monday, 27 February 2023

How long is too long to nap?

February 27, 2023 | VIEW IN BROWSER

This is TODAY

The Energy Department concludes with "low confidence" that Covid-19 likely originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, and the comic "Dilbert" is dropped by newspapers nationwide after racist comments by its creator. Plus, experts weigh in on how long is too long for a nap and the five signs that you're getting quality sleep.

The Latest

The US Energy Department concluded, albeit with 'low confidence,' that Covid-19 likely originated from a lab leak in Wuhan, China.

The Energy Department concluded with "low confidence" that the Covid-19 pandemic "likely" originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China, according to a classified report delivered to lawmakers on the House and Senate Intelligence committees. The development was first reported yesterday by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by two sources to NBC News. The Energy Department's conclusion is not being viewed as hugely significant among the intelligence community because of disagreements between spy agencies about Covid's origin, a source told NBC News. The Energy Department also described the leak as an "accident," a U.S. official said. China has denied that Covid originated from a lab leak, previously calling it a "conspiracy" theory. Read more.

Hundreds of newspapers drop 'Dilbert' comic strip after racist comments from its creator.

Newspapers across the country, including the LA Times and USA Today, announced over the weekend that they will stop publishing the long-running comic strip "Dilbert" due to comments made by creator Scott Adams. Adams said on his YouTube show last week that Black people are members of a "hate group" and that he would no longer help Black Americans. "Based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people," he said. Publishers denounced Adams' remarks as racist, hateful and discriminatory. The company that distributes "Dilbert" also announced it would sever all ties, saying in a statement that it will "never support any commentary rooted in discrimination or hate." Read more.

🕗 Mr. Manners: Do I really need to cancel a restaurant reservation?

Forgetting (or simply not caring) to cancel a dinner reservation is not only a headache for a restaurant's staff, these days, it could get your credit card dinged for a hefty fee for skipping out. Thomas P. Farley, aka Mr. Manners, has 5 tips on how to read a restaurant's fine print about reservations and how to properly handle a cancellation if you know your group isn't going to make it.

🛍️ What to buy month by month this spring in order to score the best deals.

Finding deals on must-have items is more important than ever with inflation still pinching people's wallets. But that doesn't mean there still aren't good deals to be had this spring. March is a good time to save on winter clothing, April is all about spring fashion, May has deals on backyard essentials and June features discounts on video games. We also have deals you can shop right now on top-rated swimsuits, vacuums, jackets and more.

Live Better TODAY

Achieve your life goals with easy tips.

Sinking into a nap can be a good way to catch up on much-needed sleep, but snoozing too long can be a problem. "Naps are good, but you want to keep it no more than 40 minutes," sleep expert Dr. Carol Ash said on TODAY. Also, just because you slept for four hours and later took a two-hour nap, that doesn't equate to the benefits of six hours of sleep. Ash gave us 5 signs you're getting quality sleep, while this recent study outlined how getting good sleep consistently will impact your life.

What's for dinner?

Allow us to do the meal-planning for you.

Finish the month strong and kick off March on a healthy note with our Start TODAY meal plan for this week. This barbecue chicken and quinoa salad (above) can be prepped in advance for a filling lunch, while a chicken and wild rice casserole only takes about 15 minutes of chopping and mixing before going in the slow cooker. See this week's full meal plan here.

Daily Delight

A little pick-me-up before you go.

A group of residents at a senior living center in Kentucky put in work, work, work, work to re-create Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show, to the delight of millions on TikTok. The Arcadia Senior Living Bowling Green residents jumped on the trend of mimicking Rihanna's Super Bowl choreography by having a group in all white slowly parting to reveal one resident all in red as a remix of RiRi's 2009 hit "Rude Boy" plays. "Our halftime show > Rihanna's halftime show," the video caption says. It's hard to disagree! See the fun moment here.