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During a March 1 White House COVID-19 Task Force press conference, Walensky made the risk of another COVID surge clear. “I remain deeply concerned about a potential shift in the trajectory of the pandemic,” she said. However, she noted that there are ways to avoid another wave. “We have the ability to stop a potential fourth surge of cases in this country.” Walensky pointed to the new variants and the absence of necessary public health precautions as the two things that could fuel a fourth wave of the pandemic....

The Oakmont LP Fire Tables, sold at Big Lots store locations and online, are the ones in question. According the the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the issue appears to be that the composite rubber supply hose may come into contact—or close enough proximity—to the firebox part of the table, resulting in the hose melting, leaking, or igniting. Sunjoy Industries Co., Ltd, which manufactured the tables, has received 17 reports of incidents in which the hoses were incorrectly installed, with 12 of those igniting, leading to four reports of “minor property damage....

A pair of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a website based on mathematical models of transmission, allowing users to see the risks posed to them by selecting very specific conditions in any given situation, such as room size, if masks—and which type—are being worn, ventilation, humidity levels, and crowd size, Fast Company reports. The tool makes it possible to see how dangerous practically any situation can be, from sitting in a living room with friends to shopping at Walmart to attending a large concert....

Research published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on April 6 suggests that protection gained from the Moderna vaccine extends for at least six months. Researchers noted that “the durability of protection is currently unknown,” since the vaccines have only been around for a short period of time. However, antibody activity remained high in all age groups six months after the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, which is the longest amount of time studied to date....

RELATED: Dr. Fauci Just Said This Is When Omicron Cases Will Start Going Down. As with previous variants, Omicron has proven to be different in how it affects people in terms of the symptoms that it causes. Mounting research also shows that the latest version of the virus also appears to incubate in the body more quickly than Delta, cutting down the time from infection to the first sign of symptoms from an average of four days later to three....

To get to the bottom of loneliness at the state level, we looked at three metrics: romantic loneliness, social relationships, and personality type. For the first number, we used a Move.org report measuring the number of single residents in each state, as well as and their most popular Google searches on Valentine’s Day. Based on these two factors, each state was given a score on a scale of one (least lonely) to 10 (most lonely)....

At the end of the year, the Marist Institute for Public Opinion releases poll data based on what Americans say is the most annoying word. We don’t yet know if “whatever” will prove the most annoying word of 2020, but that certainly wouldn’t be a surprise because “whatever” has taken the top spot as the most annoying word used in conversation for more than a decade—it was first voted as such in 2009 and topped the 2019 list last year....

The study’s researchers analyzed 2.9 million car insurance applications filed in 2020 to see the most commonly-registered vehicles in each of the 50 states. Based on that data, read on to discover the most popular car in your state and see if it might be just the vehicle you’re looking for. And for the beverage people enjoy most where you live (when they’re not getting behind the wheel, of course), This Is the Most Popular Cocktail in Your State, According to Data....

First, we determined the number of Ashley Madison users per 100,000 people in each state. Then, we gathered data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) most recent STD surveillance report on the number of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases in all 50 states to determine the number of STD cases per 100,000 people. In addition, we considered the CDC’s estimates on the number of sexually active high school students, though data was only available for 29 states, which we accounted for in our final rankings....

“We may be tempted to browse other articles or reply to emails when we’re on a video conference, but it’ll be easy for other participants to tell that you’re distracted by something else,” explains Bonnie Tsai, founder and director of etiquette training school Beyond Etiquette. While this may seem like an innocuous habit to you, doing so makes it clear to other participants in your meeting that you’re not providing them the full attention that they deserve....

In May, the CDC used modeling to plot out five possible scenarios for the trajectory of the virus, also showing the potential effectiveness of certain mitigation techniques. At that time, the agency’s “best estimate” was that 40 percent of transmissions occur prior to symptom onset. Now, the scenarios have been updated with data collected through June 29, and the CDC estimates that an additional 10 percent of transmissions occur when individuals are pre-symptomatic....

Before you start forming conspiracy theories, read on to discover why Fauci won’t be on the new Biden-appointed board and to learn more COVID-related details about the upcoming transfer of presidential power. And for more coronavirus developments, check out These States Are Starting to Lock Down Again. Read the original article on Best Life. Speaking to Newsweek, Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, explained that because Fauci is currently on Trump’s task force, it would be “inappropriate” for Biden to name him to his advisory board at this point in the process....

While he’s not been working onscreen, the star has been out and about in the decade since his last film. Nicholson made headlines as recently as last fall for one public outing in particular. Read on to learn more about the state of the 84-year-old’s career. RELATED: See Jack Nicholson’s Grandson, Who’s Following in His Footsteps. Nicholson’s most recent movie was in 2010, and before that, he hadn’t appeared in a film since 2007—The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman....

READ THIS NEXT: I’m a Pharmacist, and This Is the Medication I Always Warn Patients About. The COVID-19 pandemic made shortages of everyday items like toilet paper or cleaning supplies an all-too-familiar sight. But while ongoing supply chain issues have created some relatively minor inconveniences, they’re also affecting vital products like medications. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), such shortages occur due to “manufacturing and quality problems, delays, and discontinuations” of certain drugs....

READ THIS NEXT: This Popular Retail Chain Is Closing Stores, Starting Oct. 29. There appears to be a trend when it comes to pharmacies and drugstores, and that trend is store closures. In Nov. 2021, CVS announced that it would be closing 900 locations over three years, a move that was initiated as part of a new retail strategy. Similarly, Rite Aid announced in April that it’s closing 145 “unprofitable” stores in 2022 to aid in the reduction of company costs....

Walters and Hepburn’s interview—their first one of four over the years—lives on primarily because of an infamous question Walter asked about trees. But another moment from the interview is even more entertaining and shows Hepburn’s quick wit, as she snaps at Walters in her response. Read on to find out what Walters said that made the beloved actor pull out a hilariously scathing reply. READ THIS NEXT: Cary Grant Clashed With This Co-Star: “Couldn’t Be Married to Her for 24 Hours....

RELATED: If You See This Bug, Crush It Immediately, USDA Says. The Southwest Times Record reports that 43 counties in Arkansas are now subject to federal quarantine regulations due to the spread of fire ants within the state, with four new counties added to the quarantine zone in the last week alone. To limit the spread of fire ants—both to Arkansas counties outside the quarantine zone and other states—the state is now limiting the transport of materials including soil, sod, nursery stock with soil or potting media, baled straw that has been stored in contact with soil, baled hay that has been stored in contact with soil, or used soil-moving equipment....

Yes, California, Florida, and New York have reported more total cases, but Louisiana has more COVID cases per 100,000 residents than any other. The second highest is Arizona (2,226 per 100,000) and then New York (2,141 per 100,000 residents). Louisiana has the dubious distinction of being a COVID hotspot during both the beginning of the pandemic in March and April, as well as being among the new crop of hotspots that have emerged in the month of July....

READ THIS NEXT: American Is Cutting Flights to These 8 Major Cities, Starting Nov. 3. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby spoke about the carirer’s fluctuating flight schedules, and when travelers should expect to see them return to “normal.” During a July 21 interview with CNBC, Kirby said that likely won’t be until 2023. “We’re not going to get back to normal utilization and normal staffing levels until next summer,” he said....

RELATED: American Is Cutting Flights From These 6 Major Cities, Starting This Month. United is making more cuts to its upcoming flight schedule, Simple Flying reported on Feb. 5. Cirium, a flight analytics company, has shown that the airline is cutting routes from six major U.S. cities: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. From Chicago, flights to Beijing and Shanghai have both been cut until Oct....