News Roundup 12/09/20
L.A. air quality began well in 2020 but worsened at the end
The year began with Los Angeles having a 21-day stretch of smog-free days that overlapped with the start of Covid-19 stay-at-home orders, fueling hopes that dramatic cuts in driving would at least clean the air. Once the air-cleansing March weather went away, the region plunged into late spring and summer with intense heat waves that contributed to the worst ozone pollution readings and highest number of bad air days since the mid-1990s.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Stress eating during the pandemic
A global survey confirms the virus and resulting lockdowns led to dramatic changes in health behaviors, with people around the world cutting back on physical activity and eating more junk foods. It has also worsened anxiety and disrupted sleep. The study, carried out by researchers in Lousiana, surveyed almost 8,000 adults across the globe. They found that the decline in healthy behaviors during the pandemic was fairly common regardless of geography. People became more sedentary, and many said they had given in to their food cravings.
Source: New York Times
All Warner Bros. movies will be streamed on HBO Max in 2021
On Thursday, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that all of its 2021 film slate would begin to stream on HBO Max at the same time the films play in theaters. After disappointing domestic ticket sales for "Tenet," and with the majority of U.S. theaters currently closed, the AT&T-owned Warner Bros. will turn to a hybrid distribution model next year. Films will debut simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in the U.S. After one month, they will stop streaming and continue to play only in theaters. HBO Max is only available in the United States. Internationally, the studio’s 17 films planned for 2021 release will roll out exclusively in theaters.
Source: ABC News
FC Barcelona cannot find regularity this season
Barcelona fell to their fourth defeat of La Liga's season on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by Cadiz at the Estadio Ramon de Carranza. The home side (Cadiz) took an early lead through Alvaro Gimenez, but Barca struck back in the second half when Pedro Alcala turned Jordi Alba's cross into his net. Negredo scored five minutes later, and Ronald Koeman's team could not come back for a second time.
Source: ESPN
Spotify wrapped makes listeners discover who their favorites artist are
Music streaming service Spotify has released its annual "Wrapped" round-up, a look back at the most popular music of 2020 both for individual users and for the platform as a whole. For individual users, most of whom can currently see the feature on their app, the list included their top songs and artists of the year, top genres, minutes listened and more. On social media, many people posted that Spotify had nailed the song that had helped them cope with the global Covid-19 pandemic and the isolation of quarantine.
Source: NBC News