Sports

Even at $8 million per Super Bowl commercial, ad executives say it's still bang for your buck

Feb. 08, 2025

Advertisers shelled out up to $8 million for a spot during Super Bowl 59. Ad industry executives still consider the price tag worth it, and argue it’s even a bang for their buck. The NFL’s championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will air this year on Fox Corp.’s broadcast network, as well as on Fox’s free streamer Tubi. It’ll likely be the biggest audience watching live television at the same time this year.

Science & Tech

Planet parade: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury make for a skywatching spectacle

Feb. 08, 2025

Like a celestial parade across the cosmos, five bright planets are lighting up the night sky and visible with the naked eye all February long — with two other planets also detectable for skywatchers with special equipment. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury are all currently visible with the naked eye for skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere. Uranus and Neptune are also part of this month’s planetary showcase but are harder to spot because they require binoculars or a telescope to see.

Sports

Eagles vs. Chiefs: Why some fans are hoping neither team wins the Super Bowl

Feb. 08, 2025

Haters are going to hate both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs as they shake it into the Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday. When more than 100 million people in the United States tune into Super Bowl 59, a sizable number will do so with hopes that both teams can find ways lose in this battle of two wildly disliked NFL clubs.

Science & Tech

Staff placed on leave, map tool shut down in tumultuous week at EPA

Feb. 08, 2025

In the brief week and a half Lee Zeldin has helmed the Environmental Protection Agency, a flurry of personnel moves have dramatically shaken up the agency — like many others — and rattled some staff members. On the day of Zeldin’s confirmation last week, the EPA notified about 1,100 “probationary” employees who had been at the agency for less than a year that they could be terminated at any time.

Travel

Top affordable ski resorts in US for hitting the slopes this year

Feb. 08, 2025

This ski season, if you’re looking to hit the powder without breaking the bank, consider traveling to one of these affordable, wintry destinations. Vacation rental site HomeToGo released its annual Ski Season Report, and the list singled out ski resorts with reduced rates on lift passes and accommodations, so you can have a ball on tighter finances. "For this year’s annual HomeToGo Ski Season Report, we compiled a data-led, travel expert overview to give skiers inspiration of how to carve out a genuinely affordable ski vacation in several hot spots across the U.S.," Jonas Upmann, HomeToGo spokesperson and travel expert.

Entertainment

Country music star reveals what he believes Americans want most in their music

Feb. 08, 2025

Country music star and Grammy nominee Lee Brice credited the "roots" of country music for its longstanding success in American culture on "The Will Cain Show." He identified what he says Americans "crave" at the heart of country music, as he and artists like "Try That in a Small Town" singer Jason Aldean tour the country. This comes as country artists new and old – from Post Malone to Carrie Underwood – continue to make headlines. "There’s been other versions of country music, but sort of the roots of country music have come back to be not just a popular thing, but I think something people are craving," Brice said.

Science & Tech

NASA acting head asks staff to take ‘inspiration’ from DOGE efforts as lawmakers cite Musk’s conflict of interest

Feb. 08, 2025

In a Friday afternoon email to NASA staff, the agency’s acting chief asked employees to embrace the philosophy of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, as workers express concern over recent directives and anti-diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) communications.

Health

Plastic surgery trends take a surprising turn as doctors see more patients 'sizing down'

Feb. 08, 2025

These days, bigger isn't always better when it comes to cosmetic surgery. The so-called "Kardashian" look, which once popularized Brazilian butt lifts, breast augmentations and lip filler, is no longer the hot trend, some experts say. Plastic surgeons agree that they’re seeing more patients sizing down their appearance, opting for breast reductions and dissolving facial fillers.

Health

US seasonal flu cases skyrocket to highest level in at least 15 years: CDC

Feb. 08, 2025

Newly released data shows the current U.S. flu season is shattering recent records, topping numbers dating to the early 2000s, when swine flu plagued the country. Numbers released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday morning showed nearly 50,000 people were admitted to hospitals with influenza, and 10 children died of seasonal flu during the fifth week of the year.

Health

A February flu surge has arrived

Feb. 08, 2025

A second wave of influenza is hitting doctors' offices and urgent care clinics nationwide, according to the latest national flu data. “Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase across the country,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. The new cases are coinciding with patients who were sick with the flu several weeks ago, and are now experiencing common complications. Up to a third of hospitalized flu patients develop bacterial pneumonia within a few weeks of their acute illness.