Wellbeing

Behold, the performative wokeness of Black History Month is upon us
Though there are silver linings to the cloud that 2020’s trash fire left us with, last year took a toll on many of us. One of the bigger issues that came to light was institutionalized racism. And while the devaluing of Black lives is a 24-hour-day,…
By Joseph Lamour
As a queer Black person, I demand a do-over for my adolescence
By George M. Johnson
When I think about my childhood, I often wonder about the teenage experience I see in movies and TV: self-conscious yet carefree 16-year-olds pondering their budding identities and exploring relationships. It seems carefree, fun, and sometimes…
Still taking Ubers and Lyfts? Here's how to avoid coronavirus in a car
By Varghese Mathai
Editor’s note: Varghese Mathai is a physicist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who studies the flow of fluids and gases. He conducted a study using computational fluid dynamics simulations to understand how air flows inside a car and its…
Here’s how Johnson & Johnson' one-shot vaccine stacks up against the competition
By Joseph Lamour
While much of the world is still a frightening virus-infested place, there is evidently a light at the end of the tunnel. Several lights, actually, in the form of vaccines that companies are racing to produce. Today, there are ubiquitous headlines…
Behold, the performative wokeness of Black History Month is upon us
By Joseph Lamour
Though there are silver linings to the cloud that 2020’s trash fire left us with, last year took a toll on many of us. One of the bigger issues that came to light was institutionalized racism. And while the devaluing of Black lives is a 24-hour-day,…
As a vegetarian with 5 pets, I have to say: PETA needs to chill
By Tracey Anne Duncan
I have been a vegetarian since I was 14 years old. These days I consider myself to be an only vegan-ish, but still a pretty hardline proponent of animal rights. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was one of my first activist…
People of color should be vaccinated first, says Dr. Fauci
By Vanessa Taylor
Now that President Joe Biden is inaugurated, the United States is looking to him to boost vaccine rollouts throughout the country. Namely, people are hoping he'll follow through on promises to vaccinate 100 million people in his first 100 days in…
Another thing CBD can't fix: A cocaine habit
By Melissa Pandika
In the wellness world, CBD — short for cannabidiol, the non-inebriating compound in cannabis — has emerged as something of a panacea. If you struggle with anxiety, insomnia, pain, even skin issues, brands and proponents tell us, CBD will supposedly…
Can acupressure mats actually help your pandemic-ravaged body?
By Melissa Pandika
All this time at home isn’t doing our bodies any favors. Sitting at our desks for hours on end, likely with fewer outlets for physical activity than usual, has turned us into sore, stiff shells of our pre-pandemic selves. It’s no wonder I've been…
Looks like Oklahoma regrets shelling out $2 million for Trump's miracle coronavirus "cure"
By Rafi Schwartz
Now that Donald Trump is no longer president of the United States, here's a complicated jumble of consonants and vowels I bet most of you thought you'd never need to think about ever again: hydroxychloroquine. The former president's favorite quack…
Unfortunately, anal swabs might be the most accurate coronavirus test yet
By Tracey Anne Duncan
In the latest defense against the still-rampant pandemic, China is using anal swabs as a way to test for COVID-19 infections. China’s state television network (CCTV) announced last week that health officials would be swabbing passengers arriving in…
Will the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work against the new coronavirus variants?
By Melissa Pandika
By now, you’ve probably already seen the reports on the emergence of new, more contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. And, like me, you’ve probably stared at the ceiling after reading them, asking, “Really, universe?…
Airlines are banning emotional support animals. Here's why that's a good thing
By Melissa Pandika
Starting in March, Southwest will no longer allow emotional support animals on its flights, the airlines announced yesterday. Sure, that might seem pretty cold on a first read — I mean, who’d want to ban harmless puppers from a flight? The thing is,…
Now that Trump is gone, will anti-maskers give it a rest?
By Melissa Pandika
While a ton of work remains to repair the damage wrought, Trump’s defeat made me heave a sigh — correction, sob — of relief for a multitude of reasons, not least of which included the pandemic. Finally, we could start getting a handle on this mess.…
Dogs make everything better — including the White House
By Ellen Furlong
On Jan. 24 the White House welcomed two new residents: Champ and Major, the newly minted first dogs of the United States. The first dogs are poised to offer special benefits to workers in the White House. Since entering the political spotlight,…
A rich Canadian couple stole vaccine doses meant for vulnerable Indigenous people
By Tracey Anne Duncan
The wealthy elite have access to a lot of things right now that the rest of us don’t — luxe pandemic bunkers, artisanal healthcare, and an endless supply of toilet paper, to name a few. Now some of them are using their privilege in the most…
Will getting vaccinated get you laid?
By Tracey Anne Duncan
Now that people are beginning to get vaccinated, things in the dating world are changing yet again. At the beginning of the pandemic, it got easier to have real conversations with matches, and a lot of folx started taking their time to get to know…
135 unarmed Black people have been fatally shot by cops in the U.S. since 2015, NPR found
By Tracey Anne Duncan
The fact that there is no central database for police and prison stats makes it really hard for journalists to report on police brutality. Every police department in the U.S. keeps track of its own data, and individual police departments are…
Why kratom sold in the U.S. is uniquely risky
By Christopher R. McCurdy
Kratom, a traditional Southeast Asian herbal medicine from the leaves of the tropical tree Mitragyna speciosa, has gained favor in the U.S. as a legal high over the past decade. Almost two metric tons of kratom are imported from Southeast Asia…
Jay-Z just took a $10 million step toward addressing racial injustice in the weed world
By Joseph Lamour
Since the beginning of the war on drugs, Black and brown bodies have been offered up as scapegoats and unwitting culprits, penalized at outlandish rates for non-violent drug-related crimes. As cannabis inches toward decriminalization, a call for…
Anthony Fauci did not mince words about what it was like to work for Trump and let Americans die
By Tracey Anne Duncan
Anthony Fauci is back in action. The man who served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to the President under 45’s reign of terror has finally had his gag removed by the Biden…