More than half of sleep sessions end with the snooze button, with people sneaking in an extra 11 minutes on average, a new study reveals — but experts say it may not be a good idea. Researchers from Mass General Brigham analyzed data from the Sleep Cycle app, which included sleep habits from more than 21,000 people globally. Among the more than three million sleep sessions tracked, nearly 56% ended with the snooze button. MOST SLEEP-DEPRIVED CITIES IN US REVEALED IN REPORT: WHERE DOES YOURS RANK? The heaviest users of the snooze button — who used it for more than 80% of the mornings included in the study — slept an average of 20 extra minutes. These heaviest snoozers were also shown to have "more erratic sleep schedules" than those who used the snooze button less often, the researchers found."Unfortunately, the snooze alarm disrupts some of the most important stages of sleep," said lead author Rebecca Robbins, PhD, in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in a press release. "The hours just before waking are rich in rapid eye movement sleep. Hitting the snooze alarm will interrupt these critical stages of sleep and typically only offer light sleep in between snooze alarms."

Proper handwashing could save a million lives a year, according to an expert — and yet many people are doing it improperly, often due to misconceptions surrounding the practice. Doctors recommend washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. The NFID 2025 State of Handwashing Report, recently released by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, provides details on Americans' handwashing habits (and mistakes). WHY YOUR LAUNDRY COULD BE MAKING YOU SICK AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT The report is based on a survey of 3,587 U.S. adults, conducted in November and December 2024 and March 2025."We have to recognize that there are a number of important infections that hand sanitizers are not effective at preventing," Hopkins said. One example is norovirus, a highly contagious stomach virus that is common on cruise ships and is also spread seasonally. The virus cannot be killed with hand sanitizer, but is "easily destroyed" with soap and water, according to Hopkins.Certain viruses are "encapsulated" and can be destroyed with either soap and water or hand sanitizer, the expert said. However, there is also an "unencapsulated" type of virus, which has an outer coat that does not break down from the alcohol in hand sanitizer. Using soap and water is a more effective way to kill the germs, the doctor noted. 2. Just coughing into your sleeve When people cough or sneeze into their sleeve, they could still spread germs afterward. "If you cough into your sleeve … go ahead and wash your hands with soap and water as well," Hopkins advised. COMMON MEDICAL TEST LINKED TO 5% OF CANCERS, STUDY SUGGESTS: ‘USE THEM WISELY’ "We also have to recognize that we often bring our hands up close to our face, touch our nose, our glasses, other parts of our face," noted the doctor, who is based in Arkansas. "If we have bacteria or viruses on our hands, we can introduce them into our mucous membranes, where we can get infections."

Note the time delay "The [cortisol] decline is different for everyone but typically occurs one-and-a-half to two hours after you wake," Zumpano said. That's the best time to have coffee, Zumpano said. SLEEP EXPERT REVEALS TOP FOODS AND DRINKS KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT That way, "you can rely on your body's natural alert system - cortisol - and when it declines, then you use caffeine to provide the boost.""There is no specific time that's best to drink caffeine," the dietitian added. "[It's] based on when you wake and your natural rise and drop in cortisol." Yet adhering to the body's natural wake-up processes can help sustain energy levels by avoiding one big cortisol, caffeinated crash. COFFEE CREAMER HEALTH RISKS: WHAT TO KNOW, WHAT TO CHOOSE INSTEAD Fox News Digital previously reported on smart ways to consume coffee, with an expert noting that coffee drinking should be tailored to each individual. "For some people, waking up and having a glass of water to rehydrate and then having coffee works well – but for others the morning ritual of having a cup of coffee first thing upon awakening is just too good to give up," said Wendy Troxel, a Utah-based sleep expert and senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation.

The Pandemic Agreement, just adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a landmark for global public health. Had such an agreement been in place before 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic would have looked very different. The agreement now means that when the next pandemic begins brewing, the world will be much better equipped to mitigate or even prevent it. What exactly will the agreement do? In a nutshell, 124 countries have pledged to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. The countries that formally ratify the agreement will be bound to uphold a number of commitments including investing in health infrastructures, sharing intellectual property, and engaging in technology transfer. Advertisement One of the biggest benefits promises to be the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System. This will require U.N. member states to share information and data about potential pandemic viruses, including sequencing of new viruses or variants, as well as share relevant vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic technologies. Vaccine manufacturers in participating countries will be expected to provide 20% of pandemic vaccines in real time to the WHO to distribute globally, including to poorer countries and those most in need of them. Of these vaccines, member countries will donate 10% of them for free. Such an arrangement would have saved many lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first few years, the unequal access to vaccines was one of the biggest challenges, with one study finding that up to half the COVID-19 deaths in many lower income countries could have been avoided with a more equitable supply of vaccines. Read More: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Global-Health Architect Conspicuously absent from the agreement is the U.S., which has historically played a key role in global health, from HIV/AIDS to malaria and beyond. Although 11 countries abstained from voting, the U.S.'s omission due to its decision to withdraw from the WHO is notable. COVID-19 taught us that the health of people on the other side of the world is inexorably tied to our own. Isolationism doesn't work when it comes to infectious disease. Even countries that took the most drastic measures to contain COVID-19, like China, eventually succumbed to rapid and extensive spread of the virus when they relaxed international travel or strict lockdowns and social-distancing measures. Preventing the next pandemic will require us to ensure that all countries, including low- and middle-income ones, have the necessary resources to prevent outbreaks from happening and to quash them before they spread. Advertisement The agreement also proves that multilateralism and a desire for global cooperation are still shared goals among most countries. Some critics of the agreement, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, have argued that it would be a threat to national sovereignty or freedom, in that it would compromise countries’ ability to make pandemic-related health policy decisions. This is not the case. The agreement states that it “does not prejudice the sovereign right” of countries to consider it in accordance with their own national constitutions. Global agreements or treaties of this nature are rare. But when they do come about, they are far from being tokenistic documents full of legalese. Although the Pandemic Agreement is less formal and legally binding, several U.N. global treaties have already saved millions of lives. The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, the first WHO treaty, has reduced tobacco use by one-third over the past 20 years and has saved lives with policies like indoor smoking bans.

The Pandemic Agreement, just adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a landmark for global public health. Had such an agreement been in place before 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic would have looked very different. The agreement now means that when the next pandemic begins brewing, the world will be much better equipped to mitigate or even prevent it. What exactly will the agreement do? In a nutshell, 124 countries have pledged to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. The countries that formally ratify the agreement will be bound to uphold a number of commitments including investing in health infrastructures, sharing intellectual property, and engaging in technology transfer. Advertisement One of the biggest benefits promises to be the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System. This will require U.N. member states to share information and data about potential pandemic viruses, including sequencing of new viruses or variants, as well as share relevant vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic technologies. Vaccine manufacturers in participating countries will be expected to provide 20% of pandemic vaccines in real time to the WHO to distribute globally, including to poorer countries and those most in need of them. Of these vaccines, member countries will donate 10% of them for free. Such an arrangement would have saved many lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first few years, the unequal access to vaccines was one of the biggest challenges, with one study finding that up to half the COVID-19 deaths in many lower income countries could have been avoided with a more equitable supply of vaccines. Read More: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Global-Health Architect Conspicuously absent from the agreement is the U.S., which has historically played a key role in global health, from HIV/AIDS to malaria and beyond. Although 11 countries abstained from voting, the U.S.'s omission due to its decision to withdraw from the WHO is notable. COVID-19 taught us that the health of people on the other side of the world is inexorably tied to our own. Isolationism doesn't work when it comes to infectious disease. Even countries that took the most drastic measures to contain COVID-19, like China, eventually succumbed to rapid and extensive spread of the virus when they relaxed international travel or strict lockdowns and social-distancing measures. Preventing the next pandemic will require us to ensure that all countries, including low- and middle-income ones, have the necessary resources to prevent outbreaks from happening and to quash them before they spread. Advertisement The agreement also proves that multilateralism and a desire for global cooperation are still shared goals among most countries. Some critics of the agreement, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, have argued that it would be a threat to national sovereignty or freedom, in that it would compromise countries’ ability to make pandemic-related health policy decisions. This is not the case. The agreement states that it “does not prejudice the sovereign right” of countries to consider it in accordance with their own national constitutions. Global agreements or treaties of this nature are rare. But when they do come about, they are far from being tokenistic documents full of legalese. Although the Pandemic Agreement is less formal and legally binding, several U.N. global treaties have already saved millions of lives. The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, the first WHO treaty, has reduced tobacco use by one-third over the past 20 years and has saved lives with policies like indoor smoking bans. Advertisement Read More: We Are Still Not Ready for the Next Pandemic Whilst global agreements require financial and political investment, they can also be cost-effective in the long run. The Minamata Convention, a U.N. treaty designed to reduce the effects of mercury on health and the environment, is projected to save $339 billion by 2050 in the U.S. alone. Beyond pandemics, the agreement also urges countries to take collaborative action that will benefit people’s health in myriad ways. For example, the agreement directs participating countries to “take appropriate measures to develop, strengthen and maintain a resilient health system,” and to take into consideration the need for equity and advancing universal health coverage. Generally speaking, when COVID-19 hit, the more equitable a country’s health care system, the better equipped it was to deal with the disease. Of course, better, fairer health care systems are an end in themselves; they will reduce health inequalities and improve a range of health outcomes, including non-communicable diseases

Democratic Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly of Virginia died on Wednesday at the age of 75. His family said in a statement posted on his X account that Connolly died Wednesday morning in his home while surrounded by his loved ones. The statement didn’t share a cause of death. Connolly had announced in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, and would be undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Last month, he said his cancer had returned, and that this would be his last term in Congress. “We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion,” his family said in the statement on Wednesday. “His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life’s work will endure for future generations. We thank you for your love of Gerry, and know he loved you all so much.” Connolly, a champion for federal workers and harsh critic of the Trump Administration, was elected to Congress in 2008. Here are some key actions that he took while in office. He advocated for federal employees Connolly, whose district is home to many federal employees, was known for his outspoken advocacy for the federal workforce. He was a cosponsor of the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, which mandates that federal agencies permit some of their employees to telework at least one day each week. He also pushed for legislation to provide federal employees with a raise, reintroducing the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act each year. Enterprises eye China’s huge consumer market Branded Content Enterprises eye China’s huge consumer market By China Daily Connolly holds a forum each year for federal employees to help keep them informed about their benefits during the federal government’s Open Season, according to his website. The Virginia congressman fiercely defended government workers in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election as the Administration sought to cut federal funding and employees. “The federal workforce is our country’s single greatest asset,” Connolly said in a statement when introducing the FAIR Act for a final time in January. “Even after serving dutifully through a global pandemic and enduring the Trump Administration’s cruel personal attacks, unsafe work environments, pay freezes, government shutdowns, sequestration cuts, furloughs, and mindless across-the-board hiring freezes, they come to work every day in service to the American people.” He took on a leadership role on the House Oversight Committee Last year, Connolly was elected by Democrats to serve as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. In that position, Connolly urged inspectors general to investigate the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial Trump Administration initiative led by Elon Musk that focuses on reducing federal spending and bureaucracy. Connolly’s ascension to the leadership position was tinged with controversy, as he defeated Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to win the role amid a push by some Democrats for a younger generation to take on more power within the party. In April, when announcing the return of his cancer, Connolly said he would step down as ranking member. He criticized President Donald Trump Connolly vocally criticized Trump throughout his time in the White House and joined the majority of Democrats in supporting both efforts to impeach the President during his first term. “To extort a foreign country to investigate your political opponent is an unconstitutional abuse of power. To solicit foreign interference in an American election is an unconstitutional abuse of power,” Connolly said on the House floor in support of Trump’s first impeachment in 2019. “The delicate balance of power that underpins our democracy is threatened when a President disregards the Constitution by obstructing Congress to cover up illegal behavior. In doing that, President Trump violated his oath.” He supported abortion and LGBTQ+ rights Connolly was a supporter of both abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. He condemned the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, saying it had “plunged the country into a reproductive care crisis” and put the U.S. on “a dark and dangerous path.” He was also an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, which would explicitly bar discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation in employment, public education, housing, public accommodations, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder thrashed the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 to earn a statement win at home in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota ended a hard-fought but shoddy first half with a four-point lead, but a second-half blitz from the Thunder, who outscored their opponents by 30 points across the third and fourth quarters, blew the Timberwolves away. After a rough start offensively – a theme throughout the team – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his game-high 31 points in the second half to lead the Thunder to the win, also adding five rebounds, nine assists and three steals. “We try to play to our identity,” Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed 11 of his 13 shots in the first half, told reporters. “We did a good job of that on defense. Our defense definitely gave us life early in the game and kept us in it. “I was just out there being aggressive, trying to get to my spots; obviously, it wasn’t falling like it usually does and I would like it to, but that’s part of the game. “Nothing really changed in my mindset (in the second half). I just tried to continue to be aggressive, continue to trust my work and it worked out for me.” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said it was a “major victory” to only be down by four points at the break after such a poor first half from his team. “The defense was a huge catalyst in that,” he added. “I just thought it took us a second to calibrate to the opponent, but our defense allowed us the margin to do that.” Jalen Williams, who continues his rapid NBA ascension, had 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals, while Chet Holmgren added 15 points. The Thunder’s relentless defense stifled the Timberwolves, especially in the second half, and limited Minnesota superstar Anthony Edwards to a meager 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Julius Randle continued his impressive postseason form with a team-high 28 points – including 5-of-6 from three – to go with eight rebounds, though he scored just eight of those points in the second half. “I definitely got to shoot more,” Edwards said postgame. “I took 13 f**king shots, but I’ll say probably just get off the ball a little more. Play without the ball. “I think that would be the answer because, playing on the ball, they’re just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So I’ve got to go watch some film and take it apart – we’ll figure it out.” With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, Edwards was forced to head to the locker room for treatment after rolling his right ankle on a drive to the basket. However, he returned and played the rest of the game, telling reporters that it didn’t affect him in the second half. Game 2 will be played in Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Magnus Carlsen is vastly successful against just one opponent. And even when he came up against many more, the Norwegian showed he can hold his own. The five-time world chess champion was competing in the ‘Magnus vs. The World’ competition – an online chess match which allowed the public to test themselves against arguably the greatest player of all time. And after 46 days competing, the contest – the largest online chess game ever held, according to Chess.com – ended in a draw after 32 moves when the public forced a threefold repetition in a queen endgame to earn a half-point for either side. “Overall, the World has played very, very sound chess,” Carlsen told Chess.com as the game came to a close. “Kind of from the start, maybe not going for the most enterprising options, but keeping it in the vein of normal chess. It’s not always the best strategy, but it seemed like it worked fine this time.” The format meant that each side had 24 hours to make a move. After Carlsen made his opening gambit, Team World voted on what it would do next. The public was aided in its endeavor by a panel of five coaches, including WGM Dina Belenkaya, NM Dane Mattson, IM David “Divis” Martinez, IM David Pruess and GM Benjamin Bok. The event shattered the records for participation in a online chess game, passing the previous record of 70,000 set for the ‘Vishy vs. The World’ last year. When ‘Magnus vs. The World’ began on April 4, 100,000 had signed up with that number rising to 143,000 over the course of the game. According to Chess.com, there were 508,000 votes cast and more than 30,000 forum comments posted over the six weeks of competition. “I’m thrilled to see the incredible reception and enthusiasm from the community,” Sam Copeland, Chess.com’s head of community, said afterwards. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for players of all levels to suggest, discuss, and debate their chess ideas in competition with the greatest chess player of all time. The coordination and collaboration among the players were impressive, and we are deeply grateful to Magnus for his participation in the match.”

Caitlin Clark maintained her hot start to the new WNBA season on Tuesday – making history in the process – but the Indiana Fever fell to their first defeat of the 2025 season against the Atlanta Dream, 91-90. Rhyne Howard made a go-ahead free throw with 9.1 seconds remaining to help the Dream eke out the victory over the Fever as Indiana’s late rally fell short at a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which had two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and 2021 NASCAR champion Kyle Larson in attendance. Indiana trailed 76-65 at the start of the fourth quarter but showed incredible spirit to claw its way back into the game. The Fever’s comeback was sparked by two deep three-pointers from Clark before a free throw from Aaliyah Boston – who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks – with 21.7 seconds left gave the team a 90-89 lead, their first since going up 2-0 in the opening moments of the contest. But the Dream were able to get in front once again through Howard and Indiana’s Natasha Howard had two chances to snatch a late win, but had one shot blocked and another bounce off the rim. Clark had a game-high 27 points while also adding five rebounds, 11 assists and two steals. In doing so, the second-year point guard set a record for the most 25-point, 10-assist games in WNBA history, passing three-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, per ESPN. Having opened the season with a victory, the Fever fall to 1-1 on the young season, but Clark afterwards said the loss will help Indiana in the long run. “Yes, this stinks. We wanted to win this game, but this is great for our team,” Clark said. “A little adversity – how are we going to respond? We have a chance to go there and play them (again). We can get a little redemption if we go down there and play well. “I have to give my team a lot of credit; we never gave up. We found a way to get back in it.” Indiana’s Mitchell, however, was critical of the Fever’s performance against the Dream. “Today, we failed miserably as a group because there were certain things set in stone for us to be effective from quarter one to quarter four,” Mitchell said. “And you guys didn’t see what it was supposed to look like until quarter three-and-a-half. “So it kinds of just lies in the discipline right now … awareness, knowing personnel. Certain stuff we have to home in on to be successful. Our lulls were too low. They can’t be that low. We don’t have that margin for error.” Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell had 24 points while Atlanta were led on the night by Brittney Griner who put up 21 points and eight rebounds. Howard added 20 points and Brionna Jones had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Dream. The two teams take to the court again on Thursday night in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi has been described as a “sensation” after producing the fastest ever time by a 12-year-old in the 200-meter individual medley. Yu clocked a time of 2:10.63 at the Chinese National Championships in Shenzen on Sunday, finishing second behind two-time Olympic bronze medalist Yu Yiting. The time would have seen the younger Yu qualify for the semifinals at last year’s Paris Olympics and took almost two seconds off her personal best. “12-year-old sensation alert!” World Aquatics posted on X. “Yu Zidi just swam a blazing 2:10.63 in the women’s 200m IM at the Chinese Nationals – the fastest ever time by a 12-year-old.” Yu, who turns 13 in October, missed out on qualifying for the Paris Olympics but could earn a spot on China’s team for the upcoming World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in July, per Reuters. She followed up her stellar 200m IM performance with a second-place finish in the 200m butterfly semifinals, finishing in 2:08.52 and qualifying for Wednesday’s final. The Chinese National Championships began on May 17 and are set to conclude on May 24.