Sean Salai

Online classes amid pandemic linked to higher psychological distress in college students

College students who shifted to online courses during the pandemic experienced "higher levels of psychological distress" than students who continued to attend in person, a recent study found.

December 1, 2022

‘Tis the season: Scammers get in the holiday spirit in quest for personal info

Text messages threatening to delete your Amazon account for "suspicious activity" unless you verify personal information within 48 hours are among this season's sneakiest online holiday scams, authorities warn.

December 1, 2022

Inflation, drought drive up live Christmas tree prices

Plan to pay more this year for a live Christmas tree, be it a compact Fraser fir from the Appalachians or a massive Nordmann fir that's native to the Black Sea.

November 30, 2022

National Cherry Blossom Festival unveils 2023 grand marshals, artwork

The National Cherry Blossom Festival will return this spring in person for the second consecutive year with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as parade grand marshals, officials have announced.

November 30, 2022

Gun deaths surged at record pace during pandemic, study finds

U.S. gun death rates have surged at a record pace during the COVID-19 pandemic and are rising the fastest among Black men, according to a sweeping new study published Tuesday.

November 29, 2022

‘The Chosen’ outperforms Oscar bait at box office two weekends straight

A theatrically released streaming series about the life of Jesus reached the box office top 10 for the second straight weekend over Thanksgiving, outperforming Hollywood Oscar bait such as "She Said."

November 28, 2022

Cigarette smoking among young Americans hits new low in Gallup poll

Young Americans are now more likely to vape or smoke marijuana than cigarettes, according to Gallup polling that finds their attraction to cigarettes at an all-time low.

November 28, 2022

Most students fail basic ‘true or false’ Thanksgiving knowledge quiz

Teenagers may enjoy being out of school to eat turkey on Thursday, but don't expect them to be able to tell you if Thanksgiving is a federal holiday.

November 23, 2022

No baby boom expected for adoption agencies after Roe v. Wade reversal

November is National Adoption Month, but adoption agencies and advocates say they do not expect a baby boom as abortions decline following the end of Roe v. Wade.

November 23, 2022

CDC: Number of documented COVID cases in ERs during 1st year of pandemic lower than expected

Just 6.7% of hospital emergency room visits in 2020 involved any mention of COVID-19, according to federal statistics released Tuesday that raise new questions about the public health response.

November 22, 2022

Gallup poll: 1 in 4 workers still fears catching COVID at work

One in 4 workers still fears catching COVID-19 at work, although the percentage has continued to drop steadily in the latest Gallup poll.

November 22, 2022

Is Black Friday dead?

Americans will spend fewer dollars on Black Friday as rising prices and online shopping further erode the clout of the single-day retail holiday, according to consumer forecasts.

November 21, 2022

Panel votes to make stadardized tests optional for law school applicants

An American Bar Association panel has voted to make standardized testing optional for law school admissions, opening the way for racial preferencing that favors low-scoring applicants.

November 21, 2022

Consumer advocates fight ‘digital discrimination’ against old-school coupon clippers

A coalition of consumer rights groups has petitioned U.S. supermarkets to end digital-only discounts, calling them discriminatory against seniors and low-income shoppers who lack internet access.

November 18, 2022

Study links marijuana legalization to increased alcohol use

State laws legalizing marijuana could have the "unintended consequence" of making more young adults and men abuse alcohol, according to a new health study that finds a link between them.

November 18, 2022

Med schools slow to embrace faculty affirmative action: Report

U.S. medical schools have fully embraced affirmative action in student admissions but not yet for faculty promotions, according to a first-ever diversity report card.

November 18, 2022

Home births hit 31-year record during COVID last year: CDC

The number of U.S. home births reached the highest level since 1990 during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, according to federal data released Thursday.

November 17, 2022

Yale, Harvard law schools pull out of U.S. News rankings in diversity protest

Yale and Harvard's law schools have announced they will no longer participate in the U.S. News and World Report ranking, calling its emphasis on test scores incompatible with socioeconomic diversity.

November 17, 2022

Thanksgiving dinner costs up a record high 20%, farm industry reports

The cost of a turkey dinner has soared by a record high 20% as inflation eats into Thanksgiving budgets, the American Farm Bureau Federation says.

November 17, 2022

CDC reports unprecedented spike in Black, Hispanic suicides; decline among Whites

Long-term U.S. suicide trends changed heading into the pandemic, as rates fell steadily among Whites for the first time and rose among Blacks and Hispanics, according to federal data released Wednesday.

November 16, 2022