Health Tips Line

A lot has changed in the United States over the past 250 years, including in our government. But the country is still clinging to one arguably outdated relic from its Founders: the Electoral College. Every four years, during the presidential election, we stare at our screens and bite our nails as pundits predict which candidate will get enough electoral votes to win the entire state—which isn’t necessarily the same as the candidate who gets the most votes. That, of course, has put the Electoral College squarely in the crosshairs of some very angry voters, especially over the last two decades. As the argument goes, the Electoral College may have made sense in 1776, but in 2026, it may need to be tossed into the proverbial dustbin of history. Plus, let’s be honest: It’s just flat-out confusing. “The world is very different now than it was then, so I understand how people feel frustrated,” says Lindsey Cormack, PhD, an associate professor of political sc...

When I was pregnant with my sons, mosquitoes feasted on my calves like they were Twix bars. While I’m not normally one of those people who gets bitten like crazy, I have those poor souls in the family (see: my younger son’s ankles). So I’ve been wondering: What makes some of us mosquito magnets? Are some people just plain sweeter? Is it true mosquitoes target women who are expecting, as I experienced? And, most importantly, what can we all do to escape these pests and their itchy bites this summer? Bite prevention matters because mosquitoes can cause serious health problems. “Most mosquito bites are simply an annoyance that causes itching and discomfort, but some mosquito species can transmit diseases including West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and, in some parts of the world, dengue fever, malaria and others,” says Daniel Parker, PhD, an expert in mosquito-borne illnesses and an associate professor at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & ...

We’ve all been there: You think you’ve got everything covered for the 4th of July cookout, only to realize at the last minute that you’re out of that one essential ingredient everyone’s counting on. That’s why knowing what stores are open on the 4th of July is such a lifesaver. Luckily, Independence Day isn’t just about fireworks and backyard BBQs—it’s also one of the biggest shopping weekends of the summer. Still, not everything is open. To help you avoid any holiday hiccups, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular stores across the U.S. that will be open on America’s birthday. We’ve got supermarkets, gas stations, big-box stores and other major retailers, plus the places you can expect to find closed on July 4. Bonus: Along the way, we’ve highlighted some of the savings and special offers you may spot this year. Just keep in mind that hours can vary by location, and since Independence Day falls on a Saturday ...

There are certain foods that feel undeniably American: a burger sizzling on the grill, a tray of mac and cheese at a family gathering, an apple pie cooling on the windowsill. You grow up seeing them at cookouts, diners, school cafeterias and holiday get-togethers, so you kind of assume they’ve always been here, right? Spoiler alert: They haven’t! As it turns out, many of these so-called American foods didn’t start out in America. Instead, they born elsewhere—sometimes centuries or even millennia earlier—before crossing oceans, changing with new ingredients and eventually evolving into the dishes we know today. In many cases, what we think of as American food is really the story of immigrants, adaptation and reinvention. That’s fitting, because America’s food history mirrors America’s history . “We’re a country of immigrants, and the foods are immigrants,” says culinary historian Michael Krondl. “[People] adapt and ...