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For Americans, the idea of watching live television without the constant barrage of commercials for prescription medications and junk food might seem foreign. Thats now the norm in the United Kingdom. Starting on Monday, a ban has gone into effect that prohibits advertising foods high in fat, salt, and sugar on TV before 9 p.m. and at any time online. Its an attempt by the UK government to tackle childhood obesity. In 2022, 15% of children between the ages of 2 and 15 were obese, according to figures from the National Health Service. What constitutes a banned product is a bit complex to decipher, as the rules cover 13 wide-ranging categories of food. Some products included in the advertising ban are obvioussoda, candy, potato chips, and desserts, for examplewhile others may be a bit surprising, like breakfast cereals, various types of yogurts, and ready-made meals like stuffed ravioli. WELL OVERDUE The UK has long banned TV advertisements for prescription drugs, and this latest advertising ban dates back to 2020, during the era of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. However, it didnt receive much traction under his successor. In 2023, now-Prime Minister Keir Starmer campaigned on reforming the National Health Service and promised to put a ban into effect on advertising junk food if elected, saying it was well overdue. That sentiment was echoed more recently by Katherine Brown, a professor of behavior change in health at the University of Hertfordshire, who told the BBC on Monday that the ban was long overdue and a move in the right direction. COMPLYING WITH BAN But food companies are already finding creative ways to comply with the ban, while still advertising. These companies can advertise healthier versions of banned products or they can continue to advertise online and on television, so long as they dont show an “identifiable” product. This latter concession was one the UK government made following threats of legal action by the food industry against the blanket ban. Legislation permits companies to switch from product advertising to brand advertising, which is likely to significantly weaken [the] impact [of the new rules], Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation, a nonprofit focused on the UK food system, told The Guardian. Whats more, companies are switching up how they advertise, opting instead for outdoor advertising that include billboards and on public transportation. Outdoor advertising is the second-largest source of exposure to food advertising for children, according to the 2025 annual report from The Food Foundation, and food companies increased their advertising spend by 28% between 2021 and 2024 in anticipation of the TV and online ban. MORE TO BE DONE While the UK government has estimated that the advertising ban could prevent about 20,000 cases of childhood obesity, theres more work to be done, according to advocates. Brown called on the government to make nutritious options “more affordable, accessible and appealing,” while Taylor said the ban marked a milestone on a bigger journey to protect children. We cant stop here, we must remain focused on the goal: banning all forms of junk food advertising to children, Taylor told The Guardian.
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As today is the first Monday of 2026, Americans across the country are settling back into their everyday routines after the busy holiday season. But many are also recovering from the fluor still suffering from it. Flu illnesses are surging across the country. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), positive influenza test results reached the highest levels of the season for the week ending December 27, 2025. The CDC publishes a weekly influenza surveillance report that details positive case counts, illness activity levels by state, and breakdowns of flu types. Due to the winter holidays, the CDCs latest weekly report was delayed. But the agency published its findings today, January 5, 2026. The report shows that 32.9% of samples tested positive for influenza. Positive influenza test results have continued to trend upwards in recent weeks. Influenza A H3N2 Super Flu cases are surging nationwide Fast Company previously wrote about the worsening spread of the so-called super flu. The most common influenza strain this season is the subclade K, which is a mutated version of H3N2, a subtype of the influenza A virus. According to CDC data, for the week ending December 27, a total of 994 influenza viruses were reported by public health laboratories. Of those, 971 were influenza A and 23 were influenza B. Of the 600 influenza A viruses that were subtyped, 91.2% were influenza A H3N2. For the same week, 33,301 patients were admitted to hospitals with influenza. Meanwhile, two influenza-related pediatric deaths were reported. One death occurred the week ending December 20 and one death occurred the week ending December 27. A total of nine influenza-related pediatric deaths have been reported this season. For the week ending December 27, activity levels were considered very high in more than half of the U.S. states. Activity levels were also very high in Puerto Rico. Screenshot via CDC. The states with the highest flu activity include: Alabama Alaska Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Idaho Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Ohio Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia The CDC expects activity to continue for several weeks. What are the symptoms of the flu? Flu symptoms can vary from mild to severe. According to the CDC, these are the most common symptoms to be aware of: Fever Feeling feverish/having chills Cough Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose Muscle or body aches Headaches Fatigue (tiredness) Possible vomiting or diarrhea Its worth noting that not everyone with the flu gets a fever. If youre experiencing flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends limiting contact with others. Total flu cases reach 11 million nationwide The CDC estimates that at least 11 million flu illnesses have occurred so far this season. The agency estimates that there have been 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths from the flu. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older who has not yet been vaccinated this season get an annual influenza vaccine.
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The Trump administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders are required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States. Thirteen countries, all but two of them in Africa, are now on the list, which makes the process of obtaining a U.S. visa unaffordable for many. The State Department last week quietly added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to the list. Those designations took effect on Jan. 1, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website. It’s the latest effort by the Trump administration to tighten requirements for entry to the U.S., including requiring citizens from all countries that require visas to sit for in-person interviews and disclose years of social media histories as well as detailed accounts of their and their families’ previous travel and living arrangements. U.S. officials have defended the bonds, which can range from $5,000 up to $15,000, maintaining they are effective in ensuring that citizens of targeted countries do not overstay their visas. Payment of the bond does not guarantee a visa will be granted, but the amount will be refunded if the visa is denied or when a visa holder demonstrates they have complied with the terms of visa. The new countries covered by the requirement join Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, which were all placed on the list in August and October of last year. Matthew Lee, AP diplomatic writer
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