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Road congestion is a persistent thorn in the side of our car-centric society. Its loud, stressful, dangerous, and worsens air quality. Its been linked to all kinds of adverse health effects, including lower birth weights, memory and attention problems in school kids, higher mortality in elderly adults, and even crime. But traffic might also affect our eating habitsand not in a good way. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, published in the Journal of Urban Economics, examined weekday traffic data from Los Angeles County highways between 2017 and 2019 and compared it with cellphone GPS data tracking customer visits to fast food restaurants in the same county during the same years. They found that when traffic was worse due to unexpected slowdowns, visits to fast food restaurants went up. This effect was especially strong if the traffic delays occurred around evening mealtimes, when drivers were leaving work and probably starting to feel some predinner hunger pangs. The results showed that for every 30-second increase in traffic delay per mile traveled, there was a 1% increase in visits to fast food restaurants. While that may not seem like a lot, the researchers estimate that over a year, it amounts to about 1.2 million more fast food meals in Los Angeles. Weve been saying that our results are modest but meaningful, says Becca Taylor, assistant professor in the universitys Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, and coauthor on the study. Indeed, this relationship has implications for health and wellness. Fast food tends to be high in ultra-processed ingredients, saturated or trans fats, sugar, and sodium, all of which can increase ones risk of developing a number of diseases and ailments, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and even depression. Some researchers go so far as to say processed foods and fast foods are responsible for more premature deaths than cigarettes. Meals prepared at home are by far the healthier option. People who eat home-cooked meals more often have a better mix of fruits and vegetables in their diets, and are exposed to fewer harmful chemicals, including so-called forever chemicals. We also are more likely to overeat at restaurants than we would at home. So its troubling that gridlock may be nudging hungry people toward McDonalds for dinner when they might have otherwise eaten a more balanced meal at home. Los Angeles is a city infamous for its snarled highways, but the authors say these findings can be applied elsewhere. There are other cities in the U.S. that are equally congested and have these big swings in traffic congestion, Taylor says, listing off New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. She hopes the research can help make the case for prioritizing traffic solutions, like better public transportation or congestion charges, such as the one recently introduced in New York. We see this as another thing policymakers could have in their arsenal for why its important for them to spend political capital working on congestion, Taylor says. While this study might seem on the surface to be just about traffic, look a bit deeper and youll realize its really about time, or lack of it. We have a limited number of waking hours during which we can get things done, and most of them are consumed by work. Ideally we can spend what little time we have leftover doing things we find nourishing and fulfilling like, say, sitting down for a meal with our family. But we dont have a lot of wiggle room, and any delay, including an unexpected traffic slowdown, can force us to make an unhealthy trade-off. This is all quite troubling when you consider that the American workday is getting longer, traffic in the U.S. is getting worse, and fast food restaurants keep multiplying. Its a bad combination. While infrastructure improvements are important, maybe it would be easier to just give Americans more free time. Taylor and her colleagues say allowing people to work from home, or reducing the number of days theyre required to be in the office, might be able to help here. Time scarcity is one of the strongest correlates of fast food consumption, the authors write. Policies aimed at loosening time constraints would help battle unhealthy eating habits.
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E-Commerce
After a rough start to 2025 due to the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, awards season in Hollywood is officially back in the swing of things. The fires, which broke out right after the Golden Globes, even caused some to question awards shows relevance in this time of crisis. Despite several delays, however, the Critics Choice Awards was held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on February 7. The following day, the Producers Guild of America Awards (PGA) was held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles and the Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA) was presented at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The results from these three prestigious awards shows could give you an edge in your office Oscars bets as many of the same people involved are also voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Let’s recap what happened and what it could mean for the Academy Awards. The Critics Choice Awards The fires were acknowledged at every event. Critics Choice Awards host, comedian Chelsea Handler, opened the show by saying, Weve been through a lot lately before cracking a Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively joke to lighten the mood. It set the tone for a self-aware celebration. Voters made up of entertainment journalists and critics spread the love among many films this year. Conclave took home Best Acting Ensemble, which does not have an Oscars equivalent but shows support for the film in general. Kieran Culkin was awarded Best Supporting Actor for his work in A Real Pain while Zoe Saldaa won Best Supporting Actress for her work in Emilia Pérez, making them both front-runners for an Oscar. Riding their Golden Globe momentum, Demi Moore took home the honors for Best Actress for the horror film The Substance and Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his work in The Brutalist. And while he might not have been nominated for an Oscar or a DGA Award, that didnt stop Jon M. Chu from winning Best Director for his work on Wicked: Part Oneor for saying in his acceptance speech, Im going to win that Oscar! before quietly acknowledging, Im not nominated. For the first time ever, Best Picture went to a film that won no other awards: Sean Bakers Anora. It would turn out to be a big weekend for this indie film. The DGA Awards Judd Apatow served as host and brought the funny, but DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter opened the event by expressing gratitude to first responders and urged production companies to bring filming back to the United States so the city could continue to heal. The Oscars link is strong, with only two films in history ever winning Best Picture without first being recognized here. Anora continued its winning streak, taking home top honors for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Theatrical Feature Film. It is also important to note that RaMell Ross took home the Michael Apted First Time Directorial Feature Award for his work on Nickel Boys, which is also up for a Best Picture Oscar. The PGA Awards According to the Hollywood Reporter, PGA presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Linehe started the evening by sharing that the organization started a fire fund to support those who were impacted by the disaster. It had already raised $450,000 and attendees were encouraged to keep donating throughout the evening. Like its name suggests, the Producers Guild of America celebrates, well, producersnot individual performers or designers or specialized creators. Membership is about the same size as the Academy, and both organizations utilize a weighted preferential ballot. The big Oscars award precursor here is the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. The 10 nominees are almost identical to the Academys choices. In the past 15 years, 12 Best Picture winners first took home this prize, including last years champion, Oppenheimer. Just hours after it took home the DGA honors, PGA presenter Jodie Foster announced that Anora would also be the winner here. Where does this leave us in the Oscars race? After this weekend, Anora is the new Best Picture front-runner. The dramedy dethroned Emilia Pérez, which was already losing ground after several controversies, including actress Karla Sofía Gascóns offensive tweets. This musical was once on top with 13 nominations, the highest number this year. Wicked, the other musical in the running, saw a glimmer of hope this weekend with its wins and glowing reception at the Critics Choice Awards, but it might not get Oscars glory until part 2 is released late this year. Anora could not have peaked at a better time. Final Oscars voting begins on February 11 and goes until the 18th; so the movie, the acceptance speeches, and buzz will be top of mind for Academy members. A possible weakness in this film’s ascent to the top is its lack of below-the-line support. Beyond producers, directors, and critics, the Academy is also made up of cinematographers, editors, and other designers who will also need to champion the project, and its lack of nominations in those categories could be telling. Other precursor awards to keep an eye on are the BAFTA Awards, essentially the British Oscars, and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. The BAFTAs take place on February 16 in London, and the SAG Awards are set for February 23 in L.A. If Anora takes home the top prize in either of those ceremonies, it will almost certainly cement its future Oscars win.
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E-Commerce
A new study shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians. The study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention echoes two smaller ones that detected evidence of infection in previously undiagnosed farmworkers. In those studies, several of the infected workers remembered having symptoms of H5N1 bird flu, while none of the veterinarians in the new paper recalled any such symptoms. The new study is more evidence that the official U.S. tally of confirmed human bird flu infections 68 in the last year is likely a significant undercount, said Dr. Gregory Gray, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. This means that people are being infected, likely due to their occupational exposures, and not developing signs of illness and therefore not seeking medical care, Gray said. He said it shows that officials cannot fully understand bird flu transmission by only tracking people who go to medical clinics with symptoms. Study suggests bird flu cases are undercounted CDC researchers went to an American Association of Bovine Practitioners veterinary conference in September 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. They recruited 150 vets from 46 states to fill out a questionnaire and agree to have their blood drawn. None said they had suffered red eyes or other symptoms associated with bird flu. Testing found three of the vets, or 2%, had evidence of antibodies to H5N1 infection. All three worked with dairy cattle, as well as other animals. None said theyd worked with a herd that was known to be infected, although one had worked with a flock of infected poultry. Gray and some colleagues did a study last year of 14 dairy farmworkers and found two, or 14%, had evidence of past infections. Both had experienced symptoms but were never diagnosed. Another study published last year by the CDC checked 115 dairy workers. The researchers found that eight of them, or 7%, had evidence in their blood of recent infection. Half recalled feeling ill. The studies were far too small to use as a basis to provide a solid estimate of how many undiagnosed human infections are out there, Gray said. But even just a very small percentage could translate to hundreds or thousands of Americans who were infected while working with animals, he noted. That’s not necessarily a reason to be alarmed, said Jacqueline Nolting, an Ohio State University researcher who helped CDC with the latest study. Available studies suggest people who are infected mount antibody responses and may develop natural immunity, which is good news, she said. However, if the virus changes or mutates to start making people very sick, or to start spreading easily from person to person, that would be a completely different story, Nolting said. Experts urge caution around animals The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals. Its escalating presence in the environment increases the chances people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, officials have said. Right now the risk to the general public is low, the CDC says. But officials continue to urge people who have contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including wearing respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry. No ones really questioning that the virus has been moving around the country more than has been reported, said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. He said he expected to see stepped-up information reminding veterinarians across the country to protect themselves with gloves, masks and other equipment to halt infection. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Associated Press writer JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report.
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