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Experts Say You May Want to Pull Out Your COVID Masks—Here’s What to Know
If you're traveling, it's a good idea to have a mask at the ready to protect yourself and others.
Since becoming a freelance writer in 2019, Emily has developed significant experience covering viral pop culture moments and trending news topics in the health and wellness space, while also writing about mental health, relationships, and smarter living. She joined Best Life in 2023 as a news contributor, writing for the brand’s travel, wellness, and entertainment verticals.
When Emily isn’t breaking down the latest news about Costco or the best travel hacks, she’s running Scary Mommy Book Club. As a contributing book club editor, she manages the club’s social media platforms, writes original book-related stories, and conducts interviews with authors.
A proud Iowa alum, Emily’s work has been featured on PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, POPSUGAR, HelloGiggles, Scary Mommy, and more.
Flu season is right around the corner, but health experts are still concerned about a potential COVID outbreak, which is becoming a very real possibility as new data is released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Throughout the summer, COVID cases have been steadily on the rise, and officials have issued a stark reminder for Americans to get the updated 2024-2025 vaccine stat. And now, as travelers jet off for their final summer holiday, doctors say you may want to slip a COVID mask into your bag.
According to a new CDC data report, the JN.1 variant remained the dominant variant between July 21 and Aug. 3, 2024. This includes strains KP.1.1, KP.2, and KP.3, which experts have come to call “FLiRT” for short. The rate of positive COVID tests in the U.S. is also climbing, but the CDC is trying to get ahead of a potential nationwide epidemic by testing wastewater (AKA sewage) for traces of the infectious disease in every state. This helps experts determine whether COVID is on the rise or decline in communities.
As of Aug. 6, COVID-19 infections are “growing” in California, Washington, Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, per a CDC report. Meanwhile, cases are declining in Nevada, Hawaii, and Connecticut.
So, what does this mean for your summer travel plans? While there’s no current travel mandate, health experts suggest packing a few extra COVID masks for protection.
“Maintain situational awareness,” Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System in Missouri, told The New York Times.
In other words, if you’re boarding a full plane or touring a crowded indoor museum with poor air circulation, it might be smart to whip out a COVID mask. While cloth masks are better than wearing no mask at all, N95, KN95, and KF94 are the gold standard because they’re “designed to filter at least 95 percent of airborne particles,” per the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
Additionally, if your seatmate is coughing or seems to be feeling under the weather, it may benefit you to slip on a COVID mask out of caution. “It does not eliminate the risk, but it substantially reduces the risk of exposure,” said Al-Aly.
And the same goes if you’re feeling sick, too. “If you have symptoms and you have any question about it, I would wear a mask, just to protect other people,” Marc Sala, MD, a co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago, told the NYT.
Typical COVID symptoms include body chills, headaches, nausea, labored breathing, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea. With the FLiRT variants, health experts warn that an irritated, scratchy throat is the most common tell-tale sign.
"Unfortunately one of the most common COVID symptoms currently seems to be a sore throat with or without a mild fever. I say unfortunately because—of course—a sore throat can be attributed to many different causes," infectious disease specialist Andreas M. Kogelnik, MD, PhD, said in an interview with Parade earlier this summer.
Right now, travelers aren’t required to wear COVID masks on planes, trains, or cruises. However, depending on where you’re traveling, health screenings may be required. Nevertheless, COVID masks don’t take up a lot of packing space, and you’ll be thankful should you need it.
We offer the most up-to-date information from top experts, new research, and health agencies, but our content is not meant to be a substitute for professional guidance. When it comes to the medication you're taking or any other health questions you have, always consult your healthcare provider directly.
On paper, a full moon in the night sky may seem like anything to write home about. After all, full moons occur about every 29 days and are easier to spot in the sky than other lunar phases like a new moon. However, August’s full moon will be one for the record books because it also happens to be the third of four full moons this season. And its alignment with Earth, in conjunction with it being the third full moon of summer, means it will be bigger and brighter than ever. So, before grab your binoculars—here’s everything you need to know about the rare supermoon-blue moon mashup.
August’s full moon will appear Sunday morning and last through early Wednesday morning, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). However, Monday, Aug. 19, is when the full moon will also be considered a supermoon and blue moon.
Starting to get a little confused? Let’s break it down even further.
A supermoon happens when a full moon is at or near its closest point to Earth. This is called a “perigee,” while an “apogee” is when the moon is at its farthest from Earth, per NASA. When the moon hits the perigee stage, it can appear up to 14 percent bigger than at apogee. NASA reports that about 25 percent of full moons become supermoons.
Meanwhile, a seasonal blue moon is the third full moon in a season with four full moons. While they aren’t uncommon, blue moons don’t happen frequently—about every two to three years, says NASA. (Hence the phrase "once in a blue moon.")
On the other hand, super blue moons are even more scarce, occurring every 10 to 20 years.
Despite its colorful nickname, blue moons don’t typically have a blue-ish hue.
“On rare occasions, tiny particles in the air―typically of smoke or dust―can scatter away red wavelengths of light, causing the Moon to appear blue,” explains the space agency.
Put supermoons and blue moons together thi, and you get to see an unusual phenomenon that won't happen again until January or March 2037.
The super blue moon will reach its peak on Monday, Aug. 19, at 2:26 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). However, stargazers will have to wait until after sunset to grasp the gravity of the moon’s brightness and size.
The good news is you won’t need binoculars to witness the super blue moon. On any average night, the moon resembles the size of a nickel, but a super blue moon will resemble the size of a quarter. Of course, stargazing in areas that aren’t populated with high-rise buildings, bright city lights, and tall trees will improve your viewing experience.
If you’re new to using online marketplace Temu and don’t know where to start (it’s huge and can be overwhelming!), It's useful to learn from those who are in the know. Savvy shoppers have discovered ways to save even more money on their bargains, and they’re sharing those tips and tricks online. These shopping tricks can save you a huge amount of money on the site, not to mention referrals and affiliate links that save even more over time. Here are 7 ways to save money on Temu, according to shoppers who have learned through first-hand experience.
Price Adjustments Within 30 Days
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YouTuber Lylo Crafts shares a great way to get money back through the Temu app. “Temu makes it so easy,” she says. “If a price adjustment is available—meaning that the item has been advertised at a lower price for the past 30 days—you can request a price adjustment.” Temu then refunds the difference back to you.
Daily Gift Box
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YouTuber Rascal Reviews has a great tip for saving money on Temu. On the front page, where they show announcements, scroll down to the gift box. “This will give you something anywhere from discounts on certain items all the way to actual in-store credit,” he says.
Referral Code
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Rascal Reviews says if you use someone’s referral code on Temu, you get a coupon pack from the company. The coupons are usually percentages off certain amounts when you spend money on the site. “That’s another great way to save money,” he says.
Returns and Refunds
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If you order something as it’s not as advertised, Temu will issue a full refund, Rascal Reviews says. Even if you change your mind about the item, a lot of the time you won’t have to return it. Many other Temu shoppers say the same thing about Temu’s generous return policy.
Cheap Materials
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YouTuber Makers Gonna Learn suggests buying the cheapest version of what you need for design projects so you can practice before getting the good version—for example, wood rounds for decorating. “This is super helpful for those of you who want to make samples,” she says.
If You Love It, Buy It
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Makers Gonna Learn says if you see something for a great price—buy it! Temu doesn’t carry endless amounts of the same items so you might miss out by holding back. “Things are selling out a lot quicker, which in turn makes the price go up more,” she says.
Affiliate Program
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You don’t need to be an influencer to take advantage of Temu’s affiliate program, Makers Gonna Learn advises. “They make it very easy for you to share a link, and in return you get a $5 download reward per every person that downloads and logs in using your affiliate link,” she says. “You’re also going to get a $20 commission per order when they use that link.” That definitely adds up!
In the zodiac world, each sign is connected to specific personality traits and can provide information about various aspects of our lives, such as career, health, and love. However, our moon sign can reveal our emotional side and offer insight into how we react to situations, according to astrologers.
“The moon in astrology is the most sensitive and important planet in a birth chart, mainly because it indicates how we feel about things,” Joni Patry, Vedic Astrologist and founder of The Galactic Planner and the University of Vedic Astrology says. “Our feelings are essentially what drives us in terms of what we like, what we do, and our overall experience in life,” Patry says, “The moon is said to be indicative of our mind as it also equates to our intelligence.”
Moon signs significantly differ from zodiac signs because they’re based on where the “moon was on your birthday, and that can be in any one of the 12 zodiac signs,” Christopher Renstrom, author of The Cosmic Calendar published by TarcherPerigee, a division of Penguin Random House, explains. “Moon signs describe what you feel about yourself to be true. The feeling isn’t the same as knowing because feeling changes - just like the appearance of the moon in the nighttime sky,” he adds.
It’s important to understand your moon sign because you can tap into unexplored parts of yourself, which can help you connect with others more deeply, as well as yourself, says Meghan Rose, Astrologer and author of Intuitive Tarot Manifestation.
“Understanding your moon sign is like gaining access to the hidden layers of your personality, offering a richer, more nuanced view of who you are and how you navigate the world,” she states.
The moon signs can divulge the positive and negative emotions people carry. According to astrologers Best Life spoke with, here are the most conceited moon signs to be aware of.
Aquarians are known for being unique and eccentric. They’re also highly sensitive and smart but not very compassionate, according to astrologer Alice Smith. “When the moon is in a sign as intellectual as Aquarius, empathy isn’t its strength.”
Smith explains, “A person with an Aquarius moon might think through their emotions like a scientist rather than truly feel them. It’s easy for them to think that they know best and steamroll over others’ feelings because, in their world, feelings shouldn’t matter more than rational ideas.”
She adds that their approach can be seen as conceited because it can make people feel like their “feelings have been dismissed.”
2. Capricorn (December 21 to January 20)
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Capricorns enjoy their private time and often struggle to show their loving side. “Love is conditional when the moon is in Capricorn,” says Smith. “Affection isn’t given freely with this moon sign because the Capricorn moon has standards, and if people don’t measure up, then the relationship is not worth this moon sign’s time.”
Smith explains, “There’s a reason for this, though. Since they’re in it for the long haul—even in friendships—they need to be choosy to make sure they don’t commit to the wrong people. However, because of this focus on assessing, they can come across as conceited and make others feel judged.”
3. Leo (July 23 to August 22)
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Leos love the spotlight and need to be the center of attention. While they’re charming and captivating, they will also twist things to have the focus on them, Lisa Stardust, NYC-based astrologer, tarot card reader, energy healer, and two-time best-selling author, says.
“Leo Moon is going to take whatever you say and manipulate it to be about them. For example, if you share a story about your cat dying, they will share a sadder story. They always have to top you.”
Other astrologers agree. “Leo Moons desire to be seen and valued,” Alice Hu, a Career Astrologer and founder of Woo Woo Company, adds. “If they are not, they can get quite emotional and frustrated with those around them. They enjoy being in the spotlight and respected. For an unbalanced Leo moon, they can be selfish and forget about others. It’s almost like everyone around them is meant to serve them.”
Because of their strong sense of self, which can be intense and overwhelming at times, Leos are seen as conceited, says Katie MacLachlan, founder of @begoodguide, business coach and astrologer.
“For some Leo Moons, their emotional well-being is tied to external validation or feeling appreciated and valued by others,” MacLachlan explains. “This can manifest in them moving into performance mode, trying to be the center of attention, or being overly dramatic in pursuit of approval. Their perceived conceit is often more about their desire to be loved and recognized for their unique qualities or creativity than an actual sense of superiority.”
While the mighty Leo relishes in attention, there are a lot of lovely qualities about the sign.
“Leo Moons also have a generous and warm-hearted side,” Patty Kamson, an intuitive astrology expert, notes. “When they’re feeling secure and appreciated, they can be incredibly giving and supportive, sharing their light with everyone around them.” She explains, “The key for a Leo Moon is to balance their need for recognition with genuine humility, remembering that true greatness comes from lifting others up, not just basking in their own glory.”
4. Aries (March 21-April 20)
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Aries are independent, impulsive, and passionate, but according to Stardust, “Aries Moon can be really immature and have temper tantrums if they don't get enough attention.” She says, “They pretend to do things for others but really are doing it to get praise in return. They want to be thanked and adored.”
Food prices may no longer be climbing but many people are still struggling to afford their groceries—which makes stores overcharging for them even more egregious. Supermarkets and grocery stores overcharging for items is more common than you might think. Walmart recently agreed to a $45 million settlement for allegedly falsely inflating prices of sold-by-weight groceries. And in 2022, the state of Ohio sued Dollar General after auditors found overcharging error rates from 16.7% to a shocking 88.2% over 20 locations. So how can you prevent this from happening to you? Here are red flags and ways to protect yourself to keep in mind before heading to the store.
This one is the most obvious, but when was the last time you really looked at your supermarket receipt after shopping? Keep an eye on the scanner while your food is being scanned, and check the receipt after to make sure everything lines up. Remember, a lot of these charging errors come down to technology, not the person working behind the cash register.
2. Sale Items
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If you buy something on sale, make sure it actually is charged as a sale item. “We assume that a store scanner will charge us the current price, even for sale items,” says Los Angeles County Consumer & Business Affairs (DCBA). “That’s true in most cases, but we need to remember that scanners are simply computers and as we all know, computers are only as accurate as the prices programmed into them. If a store forgets to program a sale price, customers will be overcharged. For this reason, it’s important to pay attention to the prices you’re charged at the checkout.”
3. Receipt Doesn’t Check Out
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If you know you’ve been overcharged, deal with the situation immediately. “If you are charged more than the advertised, posted or quoted a price, report it to the sales clerk right away,” says DCBA. “If the sales clerk can’t help, speak to the manager. By law, you are entitled to the lowest advertised, posted or quoted price offered by the store. Stores must honor a posted price, even if the price has expired.”
4. Where Is the Price
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If you don’t see prices directly on the item or label be careful. "There are some exceptions to this rule, including tobacco, bulk food, eggs, fresh produce, milk and items on sale for seven days or fewer," says the DCA. "The unit price – meaning the cost per pound, pint or other unit of measure – must be listed on the shelf near most products."
5. Be Vigilant
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Even stores with a good reputation can make errors—expect mistakes to be made. "Try your best to remember what the prices are and pay attention because chances are, even at stores that pass, we have one or two items that are wrong,” says Jerry Butler from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. “So chances are, if you pick up 50 items, you're going to have one or two of them wrong."
6. Is the Scale At Zero?
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Use the scales in the produce aisle before heading to the checkout. This way you will know if one or the other might be faulty. If there are no scales to be seen, that’s a big red flag. Make sure the scale is set to zero.
7. Are the Scales Working?
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Don’t forget to pay attention when going through the self-checkout. Marin County officials recommend checking the edges of the scale to make sure they aren’t rubbing against the machine, as this may cause an incorrect reading.
Beverly Hills, 90210 first aired in 1990—yes, 34 years ago—which seems like a crazy long time until you realize the show might as well have been set in Victorian times compared to how teenagers live today. Landlines, renting movies on VHS, no cell phones, no texting, no social media, no Googling, no taking pictures all day long, no selfies, no TikTok, no influencers, and no streaming. You watched a TV show when it aired and if you missed it, too bad. You used a camera, and took photos on special occasions only. WILD.
Anyway, while deep in the mire of newborn bliss/exhaustion last year, I needed a comfort-viewing distraction to get through the long days and nights. Something fun, something addictive, something that made me feel like I was actually out in the California sunshine right outside my window. Nothing too sad, real, or stressful—in other words, I wanted to watch 20-something actors playing teenagers in one of the richest zip codes in the world. Here’s what I learned after watching 293 episodes and 11 specials.
Ok, hear me out. I know as you get older, actors on screen look younger. But there have been so many jokes over the years about this cast being too old to be playing teenagers. Gabrielle Carteris was 29 in season one (granted, they made her look 50). Tori Spelling was 17, Shannen Doherty was 19, Luke Perry was 23, Ian Ziering was 26, and Jason Priestley was 21. Also, back then people looked older than they were, compared to 20-somethings these days.
2. Brandon Was Insufferable
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Not always! But Brandon was always portrayed as the “good guy”, the hero, the activist, the good twin. Watching some of the storylines as an adult, I couldn’t believe how many times he almost got his father fired or in trouble at work just to make a point about whatever cause he was championing. Your dad needs to pay the mortgage, Bran. Maybe don’t mouth off at his colleagues?
3. Andrea Should Have Gone To Yale
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Andrea giving up Yale made no sense. None. Zilch. She wanted it her whole life, actually got into the school, and then… plot twist! She’d rather stay in Los Angeles. Which makes sense if they wanted to keep Carteris as part of the gang, but her whole teenage mom storyline made no sense. AHN-drea deserved better.
4. Race Relations
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It’s silly to watch a show from almost 40 years ago and judge it through a modern eye, but solving racism through the electric slide was one of the most bonkers things I’ve ever seen. Aside from that, 90210 actually did a pretty good job of touching on racial issues. We want to sympathize with the main characters, so when they show prejudice or racism, it encourages us to look at our own prejudices. For example, Brandon and the high school football team, or the storyline where Donna almost got those kids taken away from their mother because she had to work.
5. Domestic Violence
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Speaking of Donna, her domestic violence storyline with Ray Pruit was sadly only too realistic, especially because she stays with him for a long time despite his behavior. The show did a good job of touching on some of these serious themes without getting entirely too depressing (in the early seasons anyway, some of the stalker storylines later on were silly).
6. Money Troubles
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Money does not buy you happiness. Even though the Walshes live in Beverly Hills, they have significantly less money than their neighbors, which causes envy and insecurity, (especially for Brenda, it seems). Kelly’s mother is an alcoholic. David’s father is a womanizer. Donna’s mother is insane. No one’s life is perfect.
7. Steve Was a Delight
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Steve was the only one who acted like an actual teenager. His good moments, bad moments, silly moments all felt genuine for a 17-year-old in high school. He wasn’t afraid to cry, and he had a good heart. Justice for Steve!
8. Jim and Cindy’s Parenting
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Brandon gets drunk, crashes his car, and ends up in jail. He gets a hug (but they yell at Brenda!). Brenda lies to her parents all summer and… they send her to Paris. Brenda is almost an adult, but they ban her from seeing her boyfriend, who is also practically one of the family at this point. They blame Dylan for Brenda’s behavior. They tell their kids only one can go to college out of state, setting up some sort of Hunger Games craziness between the twins. Jim turns a blind eye to Brandon’s many girlfriends, but flips out about Brenda doing the same. Not cool Jim. Not cool then, and not cool now.
9. Donna Martin Graduates!
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Why did Donna not stay in the hotel until she was over the worst of her drunkenness? Why did her friends walk her through the lobby where she was sure to be seen by someone? Luckily no one had any common sense that night because it led to one of the most iconic episodes—and chants—ever. Donna Martin Graduates! It’s even funnier on the rewatch.
10. We Had It So Good
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The ’90s were a golden age of television, especially shows for teens. Beverly Hills, 90210 tackled many worthy issues, sometimes heavy-handedly, but always with good intentions. With so much heaviness in the world, it’s nice to escape to a time where if you left the house, no one could reach you. Your parents had no idea where you were! You could even go to Mexico and only get caught when you lose your passport and be stopped at the border coming home (nice work, Brenda). The Peach Pit, the beach house, the Walsh residence, the 90s fashions and slang, the Beverly Blaze, David’s Vanilla Ice act, Brenda’s French accent, the new characters, the ones we will never see again, all are immortal for a reason. RIP Brenda, Dylan, Stuart, and Nate. We will never forget you.