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It turns out eliminating the paper or plastic question through plastic bag regulation is effectively reducing the number of bags found in shoreline litter across the United States. A new analysis of shoreline cleanup data finds that areas with plastic bag bans or consumer fees have fewer bags turning up in their litter. The research offers some of the strongest evidence yet that regulating plastic bag use makes a difference in reducing the amount of plastic waste in marine ecosystems. A heightened threat to marine wildlife We find, largely, that all the regulations do show a decrease in plastic bag litter as a share of total litter on these shores, says Kimberly Oremus, co-author of the research paper and an assistant professor of marine science and policy at the University of Delaware. The total reduction ranged between 25% and 47%, the study found. About 20 metric tons of plastic end up in the environment each year, estimates the International Union for Conservation of Naturethat amounts to over 2.4 kilograms of plastic for each person on Earth. Plastic bags are particularly prevalent in marine ecosystems. They are very difficult to recycle and, because they are lightweight and have a large surface area for wind to catch, they blow out of the trash and into the environment at higher rates than other plastic items, says Erin Murphy, the ocean plastics science and research manager at the environmental advocacy nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, who was not involved in the research. She added that in 2024 alone, the conservancys International Coastal Cleanup volunteers gathered up more than a million plastic bags. In addition to getting into the environment at high rates, plastic bags also pose a heightened threat to marine wildlife. Wildlife can become entangled in or smothered by these bags or can mistake them for food, like jellyfish, a favorite among many species. These interactions with plastic can lead to the deaths of endangered and common animals alike and can even contribute to broader population declines. Counting the plastic bags One big challenge in studying the effects and regulations of plastics is actually measuring this pollutant in the environment, says Anna Papp, co-author of the research paper. To overcome this challenge, the study used crowd-funded data from beach cleanups. The data was collected by the Ocean Conservancy as part of their Trash Information and Data for Education and Solutions (TIDES) project. Nearly 19 million people have participated in the data collection worldwide. The study also examined plastic bag policies at various geographical scales between 2017 and 2023. The earliest plastic bag policies in the U.S. were implemented around 2007, researchers say, but an uptick in the mid-2010s more directly led to the policies analyzed in the study. While the data provides insight into how the share of plastic bags found among shoreline litter has changed due to policy measures, an important caveat remains: Plastic litter has been increasing overall. Plastic production doubled from 234 million to 460 million tons between 2000 and 2019and without mitigation, it is only expected to rise, according to a recent report from the French-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Some regulations are better than others Still, the researchers noted that not all regulations worked equally well. Total bans and consumer fees resulted in greater decreases than partial bans, which still allow businesses to use thicker, potentially reusable plastic bags. The researchers also found that regulation was most effective in places that had a high baseline of plastic bag litter before the bans or fees went into place. The study data seems to indicate that consumer fees were the most effective option for mitigating plastic bag litter, though the paper’s authors say more research is needed to confirm this finding. These policies are effective, but theyre not a panacea for all plastic litter, Oremus said. Anyone whos looking at regulations for plastic broadly needs to think beyond just the consumption side of plastic.
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E-Commerce
If your anxiety before a big test or a high-stakes presentation has ever kept you up at night, you can rest easier knowing that scientists are trying to get to the bottom of matters. A new study published this month in The Journal of Neuroscience explores how stress interferes with sleep, causing cascading negative effects on memory and other cognitive processes. By pinpointing the specific neural mechanisms involved in stress-related memory problems and sleep disruptions, scientists hope to figure out stress-zapping treatments in the future. A group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicines Chronobiology and Sleep Institute simulated human stress in lab mice, restraining the animals so they couldnt move. They then observed the animals neural activity while they slept and gave the mice a spatial memory test. Much like a human who gets stressed out before a big test, the mice slept poorly and showed memory deficits. The researchers went on to simulate the effects of the stress scenario without actually restraining the mice. By activating neurons that release the stress hormone corticotropin in a specific part of the hypothalamus known as the paraventricular nucleus, the research team stressed out the mice and later observed the same sleep and memory issues as if the animals had actually been restrained. When they blocked the same stress hormone-releasing neurons during the stress-inducing event, the mice slept a little better and had significantly less trouble during their spatial memory testa hopeful clue in helping to understand how to mitigate the problems that stress creates in the human brain. The researchers called the findings on the pathways of corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in that region of the hypothalamus an important step toward improving sleep and ameliorating cognitive deficits associated with stress-related disordersa conclusion that anyone tired of having that one same stress dream can definitely get behind.
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E-Commerce
Astroworld is back in the news, and social media has some thoughts. In November 2021, a deadly crowd surge at Travis Scotts Astroworld music festival claimed the lives of 10 people. The then-annual event, held in the rappers hometown of Houston, became one of the worst concert tragedies in U.S. history. Now its the subject of the new Netflix documentary Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy. With renewed interest in the incident, survivors have taken to social media to share their own footage from the event. Only if I knew bro, one attendee posted on TikTok over footage of himself in the crowd. The audio accompanying the clip is taken from the documentary: It started getting pretty hectic, one survivor says. Im like, Oh my god, I cant take a deep breath, adds another. @nnsquad4 #viralvideo #fyp #astroworld astroworld – Mi$$ing (-.-)Zzz Since everyone else is sharing their Astroworld experience, another TikTok user wrote in the caption of a clip, which shows him tightly packed in the crowd as Scott performs. Not too long after this I got bumped into due to the crowd swaying and ended up falling on top of someone in the fetal position, he wrote. We ended up getting out but man it was a struggle. In other horrifying footage, the panicked audience can be heard calling for help. Ive never posted this video before, rest in peace to all innocent lives lost, the caption reads over the video. @adammendozaa In the moment I didnt know what else to do, so I just got out of that spot for the rest of the concert. After watching the documentary I am very grateful to still be here today. #travisscott #astroworld #fyp #concerts original sound – Adam Mendoza Even before Scott took the stage, the crowd seemed to sense something was wrong. We are gonna die, one attendee filming the unsafe conditions jokes in a clip that now has 10.3 million views. Saying this as a joke but on the inside this was a real feeling, she wrote in the closed captions. This about to be bad when it starts, another can be heard saying. Bro literally called it, the captions add. @goomba2105 @Joe Geesbreght This documentary is about to be wild. #astroworld #travisscott original sound – Zach I believe Astroworld 2021 was not an accident, crowd safety expert Scott Davidson says in the new documentary. It was an inevitability due to the lack of foresight and the abandonment of basic safety protocols. Nearly 5,000 people were injured as a result of the crush. The Netflix documentary, which premiered on June 10, features interviews with several survivors. In total, 10 people died: Axel Acosta, Danish Baig, Rudy Pea, Madison Dubiski, Franco Patio, Jacob Jurinek, John Hilgert, Bharti Shahani, Brianna Rodriguez, and Ezra Blount. Blount was just 9 years old. The cause of death for all 10 victims was compression asphyxiation.
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E-Commerce
The summertime beaches of 1975 were empty, but the movie theaters were full thanks to Steven Spielbergs thriller Jaws. Considered by film historians to be the first-ever summer blockbuster, Jaws put the young director on the map and was the highest-grossing movie of all time until Star Wars was released two years later. June 20 marks the 50th anniversary of Jawss cinematic debut. To celebrate, NBC is airing the film, complete with an introduction by Spielberg. Before we get into specifics about how to tune in, lets take a look at some fun facts about the flick, and what summer 2025 offers in the way of potential blockbusters. It all started with a true story The movie Jaws is based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Peter Benchley. The reporter-turned-novelist was inspired by two powerful forces: his fond memories as a child fishing for sharks in Nantucket with his dad, and a newspaper article that told the real-life story of Frank Mundus, a Montauk, New York, fisherman who hooked a 2-ton-plus great white shark, as NBC notes. The childhood nostalgia and stranger-than-fiction story combined to make a bestseller. Benchley cowrote the films screenplay with Carl Gottlieb. Each has a cameo in the film (Benchley as a reporter and Gottlieb as Meadows, the newspaper editor). Spielberg was not the first director attached to the film Its hard to imagine today, but the name Spielberg wasnt always synonymous with storytelling excellencethat reputation had to be earned. Spielberg was just 27 when he devoured Benchleys novel and decided he wanted to be a part of the film version. However, his résumé at the time included only the television movie Duel and the theatrically released The Sugarland Express. Jaws producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown had already offered the project to another director, as Far Out magazine reports. When that individual kept calling the shark a whale in a production meeting, Benchley was not impressed, and Zanuck and Brown gave the job to Spielberg. Filming was not smooth sailing The set of Jaws saw problem after problem. The films budget was originally $4 million but grew to $9 million. Principal photography was scheduled for 55 days but ended up lasting 159. Being on Jaws became a living nightmare, and not because I didnt know what I was doing or because I was struggling to find the movie in my head,” Spielberg recalled to Vanity Fair in 2023. “I knew the film I wanted to make. I just couldnt get the movie I had in mind on film as quickly as I wanted. Much of this was due to Spielbergs insistence on filming at sea off the coast of Marthas Vineyard instead of in a studio tank. A mechanical shark, nicknamed Bruce, was notoriously breaking down. The script was constantly reworked, and actors didnt always get along. Jaws was a fun movie to watch but not a fun movie to make,” Spielberg added in the Vanity Fair interview. 50 years later: Special Jaws screenings and streaming To revisit this classic filmor perhaps to see it for the first timetune in to NBC Friday, June 20, at 8 p.m. ET. If that doesnt work with your schedule, the film and its three sequels are available to stream on Peacock. Its also heading back to select big screens across the U.S. beginning August 29, according to NBCUniversal. 2025 summer blockbuster offerings Another roundabout way to honor the legacy of Jaws is simply by seeing any movie in a theater this summer. The industry is still trying to find its footing after the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple Hollywood labor union strikes in 2023, and devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025. It could use the support. Plus, movie theaters have air-conditioning! Domestic ticket sales were roughly $8.6 billion last year, compared to $11.3 billion in 2019. While changing media consumption habits like streaming and endless smartphone scrolling have further challenged the notion of the summer blockbuster in recent years, 2025 still has many contenders that will vie for the crownand there really is something for everyone. This includes Jurassic World Rebirth, on which Spielberg serves as an executive producer, scheduled for release on July 2. Already on the big screen is Tom Cruises latest addition to the Mission: Impossible franchise, The Final Reckoning, complete with death-defying stunts. Families can enjoy the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon. Spielberg has his fingerprints on this one, too: While he was not directly involved with this iteration of the story, he cofounded DreamWorks, which led to the creation of DreamWorks Animation, the studio that produced the original films.
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E-Commerce
In todays media environment, even the most compelling stories risk being drowned out by the sheer volume of breaking news, commentary, and developments. Each hour seems to bring a new wave of headlines and alerts. The pace and amount of information in this nonstop news cycle makes it increasingly difficult for mission-driven organizations to rise above the noise and make their voices heard. For Meals on Wheels America, the leadership organization supporting more than 5,000 community-based organizations delivering vital services to vulnerable seniors, breaking through this noise isn’t just a communications challengeits critical to our mission to ensure that every senior in America can live a nourished life with independence and dignity. Fortunately, Meals on Wheels is a well-known and respected brand. But with that recognition comes responsibility, to communicate with clarity, purpose, and precision. We must remain relevant while creating lasting impact. Often, this means rapidly assessing how new developments or decisions affect our network as a whole, then striking a careful balance in our messaging. We need to inform without alarmingcommunicating clearly when actions would harm Meals on Wheels providers, without sensationalizing the message or creating unnecessary chaos across the network. Were always thinking about the seniors we serve and avoiding undue panic that could make them worry about where their next meal will come from. The changing rules of engagement The rules of engagement have changed in todays environment. Its not just what you say, but how, when, and where you say it that determines whether your message sticks or gets lost amid the overwhelming barrage of content. Ive learned in recent months that the noise isnt going to stop, so we must become more strategic, agile, and intentional in our communication. Here are four key lessons Ive learned in our efforts to make Meals on Wheels America stand out in this media landscape: 1. Lead with authenticity In a world fatigued by constant misinformation, people crave honesty. While urgency is often necessary, overreliance on crisis language can desensitize audiences. Instead, clearly articulating why an issue matters nowgrounded in authentic, relatable experiences and storiesbuilds a stronger, lasting connection that will resonate with your audiences. 2. Elevate your organizations unique value With countless causes and organizations competing for attention, differentiation is crucial. What makes your organization essential and why should people care? For us, its not just that we deliver meals, its that we provide a lifeline that keeps seniors healthier, connected, independent at home, and out of more costly alternatives. When I explain that for many seniors, a Meals on Wheels volunteer is the only human contact they have all week, something clicks for people and they get it. 3. Be transparent, especially when you dont have all the answers Trust is earned and built through honesty, even when the picture is incomplete. Acknowledging what you dont yet know while sharing how you’re working toward solutions builds far more credibility than pretending to have all the answers. Transparency positions you as a reliable sourcesomeone who values truth over conjecture, choosing to gather facts before offering conclusions. Our organization recently had to leap into action when a leaked government memo suggested our networks sources of federal funding would be frozen. We were receiving conflicting reports and couldnt get a clear answer on whether we would be impacted. When journalists started coming to us for clarity, we had to be honest: We didnt know, and that was the root of the problem! Leaked information was causing chaos, and suddenly, we were working with reporters to be a resource to one another, sharing information as we learned it. 4. Embrace creativity In a crowded landscape, its often bold and unconventional storytelling that yields the biggest impact. By stepping outside the bounds of traditional advocacy, organizations can capture attention and inspire action. Equally important is humanizing your messageputting real faces to the challenges you highlight. This not only contextualizes complex issues, but also makes them more relatable, urgent, and emotionally resonant with everyday audiences. Rethink messaging Consider our recent message highlighting the positive economic impact for U.S. tax payers of investing in Meals on Wheels. While compassion drives our mission, data matters too, especially in policy-focused environments. By framing our work in terms of cost savings to taxpayers, like reducing the need for hospital and long-term care facility stays, were adding a pragmatic, fact-based layer to our story. Its messaging that resonates among policymakers and the media. Additionally, we built our new creative campaign, On Hold around a universally relatable experience, to break through and drive increased awareness and urgency around senior hunger and isolation. The campaign creative brings this to life by matching all the hallmarks of being on holdthe annoying music, the impersonal prerecorded responsewith growing frustration. The feeling becomes so visceral that our seniors start physically manifesting it. This unexpected approach brings cultural relevance to a serious issue while reinforcing our key message: Our seniors have been left on hold, waiting for America to care for far too long. It’s time to answer the call and start prioritizing our seniors. In this congested media environment, we also need strategic storytelling, delivered intentionally across the right channels, in the right format, to the right audience. For organizations like ours, success means staying authentic while continuously emphasizing both the emotional and practical value of our work. Its equally vital to illustrate the why and to clearly show whats at stake if local providers dont receive the federal funding on which they rely. Ultimately, the noise isnt going away, but neither will our determination to ensure that the needs of the seniors we serve are heard loud and clear. By optimizing and refining our messaging strategies, embracing creative risks, and staying attuned to what audiences truly care about, we can and will continue to make a meaningful impact, even amid the most turbulent news cycles. Ellie Hollander is president and CEO of Meals on Wheels America.
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E-Commerce
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