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The holiday season showed a massive increase in GenZs purchasing across US shops, despite rising costs and increased inflation.

According to analysts, the GenZs, born between 1997 and 2012, make up a sizable share of the country’s population. Cowen Equity Research predicted that by 2028, Generation Z and Millenials would account for 70% of the country’s population. But, according to Kristen Classi-Zummo, an expert, the quantity of GenZs inside malls during the holiday surprised her.

“One standout this Black Friday was the high turnout of Gen Z in stores. Younger consumers flooded the mall, treating Black Friday as a social event. They came early, they came with friends, and they came to shop,” said Classi-Zummo.

“Over Black Friday weekend, we saw shoppers of all ages but certainly saw a strong showing from a youthful crowd, and some of our strongest anecdotal sales reports came from top Gen Z brands and fashion department stores,” said Joe Coradino, CEO of PREIT, a mall operator.

According to the National Retail Federation, around 123 million consumers visited retailers on Black Friday. Consumers’ strong turnout inside commercial facilities resulted in more outstanding retail sales. As a consequence, Christmas sales this year surpassed those of previous years.

“For Gen Z, it wasn’t just about shopping. It was about hanging out and having fun together as a group,” added Classi-Zummo.

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Brand matters for GenZs

According to researchers, GenZs want to buy brand apparel and accessories. They also stated that social media platforms such as TikTok determine which businesses are “in the moment” of pop culture. So, regardless matter how much a product costs, GenZs will buy it if the brand is well-known.

“Promotions aren’t the draw for these shoppers. Instead, one in three shoppers aged 18 to 24 looks at social media first to do their shopping research,” added Classi Zummo.

“At the same time, this generation is also open to finding inspiration in other channels, including browsing in stores. And we saw that over Black Friday. So they will get the must-haves on their wish list, regardless of price, and maybe put back the nice-to-have items.”

“Mostly beauty items and electronics. Their top retailers were Best Buy, Sephora, Ulta and TJ Maxx. Gen Z and their spending, by and large, are all discretionary. They aren’t burdened as much by bills, so they’re not thinking as much about inflation and prices,” said Brian Mandelbaum, CEO of a consumer data company.

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A spike in holiday sales

Many businesses and organizations projected that Black Friday would experience a surge in sales before the holidays began. And their forecast came true. According to estimates, Black Friday sales were $9.12 billion, surpassing the modest pace of 2021.

“While there is much speculation about inflation’s impact on consumer behavior, our data tells us that this Thanksgiving holiday weekend will see robust store traffic with a record number of shoppers taking advantage of value pricing,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

“We are optimistic that retail sales will remain strong in the weeks ahead, and retailers are ready to meet consumers however they want to shop with great products at prices they want to pay,” he added.

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As consumers try to stop the illness from affecting children, cold and flu medications dry up. Scientists refer to this phenomenon as a “tripledemic.”

Pharmaceutical companies claim that there has been an increase in demand for drugs like Tylenol, Motrin, and Advil. However, over the holidays, something took place. Because so many people travel around during the holidays, scientists expected that this would occur. In addition, due to the large number of people congregating in public areas and homes, experts predicted that three flu strains would undoubtedly spread.

“Consumer demand for pediatric pain relievers in the U.S. is high, but there are no supply chain issues, and we do not have an overall shortage in the U.S.,” said Melissa Witt, Johnson & Johnson spokesperson.

“(The company experiences) high consumer demand and are doing everything we can to ensure people have access to the products they need,” she added.

“We’re facing an onslaught of three viruses — COVID, RSV and influenza. All simultaneously. We’re calling this a tripledemic,” said Vanderbilt University infectious disease specialist Dr. William Schaffner before the holidays.

“Intensive care units are at or above capacity in every children’s hospital in the United States. So it’s very, very scary for parents,” reported Amy Knight, the Children’s Hospital Association president.

“Influenza has hit the southeastern United States. Then, it moved into the Southwest. Then, it’s going up the East Coast and into the Midwest with some ferocity,” Schaffner added.

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Flu affecting children

According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, sales of pediatric analgesics increased in October. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are examples of such medications. The group also stated that western New York had the most significant demand for flu medications. Manufacturers claim a sufficient supply of flu medications nationwide, but certain regions still have trouble getting them.

“The supply chain is strong,” said Anita Brikman, CHPA spokesperson.

“These medicines are not curative. They don’t alter the duration of the illness or anything like that. They are essentially purely for comfort. Fevers from common respiratory viruses in and of themselves are not harmful,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, a pediatrics professor from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“If [a child’s] temp is 103, but he’s running around the room having a good time playing, you don’t need to do anything with that. That’s not going to hurt him. Fever represents our body’s immune response to an infection. But, on the other hand, if he doesn’t have a fever, but his throat is hurting, something is bothering him, he’s pretty fussy — that’s where things like ibuprofen or Tylenol, acetaminophen can be helpful,” Dr. O’Leary explained.

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Choosing the right medicine

In addition, O’Leary advised parents to use caution when picking the appropriate medication for a kid who was ill and clarified that children with the flu could not benefit as much from adult medications. Finally, O’Leary clarified that parents must visit a doctor to ensure proper care.

“For acetaminophen and ibuprofen, there are potential toxicities from taking too much — some of which can be quite severe, particularly for acetaminophen. So you have to be careful when you do that,” he said.

“It’s best to talk to the doctor or pharmacist. (If a parent or caregiver) can weigh [the child] at home, tell us what they weigh on their scale at home, we can figure out what an appropriate dose would be for them to take,” added Wendy Mobley-Bukstein, pharmacy practice professor from Drake University.

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Unexpectedly, a deadly, spreading bird flu virus emerged in the United States, threatening poultry farms and businesses all around the nation.

The tragedy killed more than 52.7 million animals nationwide. In addition, avian influenza, often known as HPAI, affects a lot of poultry. The virus has affected farms and poultry yards in 46 states since February.

Experts claim that the tragedy eclipses all prior records. This includes the high number of deaths reported in 2014–2015, which totaled 50 million. Over the winter, there was an increase in cases.

However, it waned for a while before resurfacing in the summer. Then, the World Health Organization discovered that wild birds are the leading cause of the virus’s spread.

“I’m hopeful that this is not the new normal for us. We don’t know what it is about it. But it does seem to be able to grow and transmit better in wild birds. Wild birds are the perfect mechanism to spread a virus. Because they fly everywhere,” said Dr. Richard Webby, the director of the WHOS’s Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals.

Over a million birds succumbed in each of the 11 states the United States Department of Agriculture was keeping track of. From Delaware to the Midwest, these states are included.

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A novice poultry virus

Webby stated that the virus is a novel strain impacting poultry animals nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus only sometimes impacts people. But in Colorado, a case was reported back in April.

Though after a few days, the patient made a full recovery. Although some people may be concerned, the CDC assured the populace that, if the government managed adequately, it would not substantially impact the nation’s food supply.

“The bird populations haven’t seen viruses like this before. So in terms of their immune response, they’re all immunologically naïve. Right now, it’s like a kid in a candy store racing around,” added Webby.

“When the virus came into the Americas, it started to interact with the viruses we have in our wild birds here. So from the outside looking in, they look very similar. But when you go on the inside and look, the viruses we have here are quite different now from what was in Europe.”

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Choosing infected birds

Oklahoma State University associate professor Amy Hagerman said she remains perplexed about why the influenza virus exclusively strikes a few bird species. To stop the virus from spreading and damaging other food items, she urged chicken owners to begin immunizations as soon as possible.

“For whatever reason, turkeys and layer birds tend to be more susceptible. The chicken that most people think of, their chicken tenders, their chicken sandwiches. All those things haven’t tended to have the same impact,” she said.

“Generally speaking, these complexes are over a million birds, easily. So it takes fewer egg-laying operations being affected by HPAI to drive up the price of eggs and egg products,” she added.

“One of the big complications is the timing of a vaccine. Generally, you need two doses of a vaccine and then a length of time to achieve full effectiveness. If you have a bird that has a very short feeding window before it’s ready for harvest, that can be a lot more challenging. Because you also need to allow the withdrawal period after the vaccine before the bird is harvested.”

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After the Orion spacecraft successfully sailed by the Moon and currently travels towards Earth, NASA’s Artemis 1 mission nearly accomplished its objective.

After many cancellations months earlier, NASA finally launched the first Artemis mission to the Moon last month. The mission’s planned route from the Earth to the Moon’s orbit and the return took the spacecraft 15 days to complete. On Thursday, it abruptly left the Moon’s orbit. Lava beds and unstable regions are among the sites on the Moon that NASA aims to photograph. During the Apollo missions, astronauts previously investigated several places.

On December 11, if all goes according to plan, the Orion spacecraft will touch down on the Pacific Ocean miles off the coast of San Diego. The most powerful rocket to launch a capsule outside the Earth’s atmosphere, NASA’s newest Space Launch System, fueled the Artemis rocket. NASA scientists stated their optimism that the initial Artemis mission would provide them with additional information that would be crucial for the succeeding Artemis missions.

“The biggest test after the launch is the reentry because we want to know that that heat shield works at about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), almost half as hot as the sun, coming in at 32 times the speed of sound (nearly 40,000 kilometers per hour),” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

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Artemis I’s importance

According to NASA, a living human was not allowed to travel on the first Artemis mission. However, the organization declared that it would continue researching how the environment affects the human body. A modified mannequin that can gather crucial data to support life inside the vessel is aboard the Orion spacecraft. Additionally, NASA made sure that their rocket system and capsule were safe to use to avoid potential tragedies on later trips.

“The biggest test after the launch is the reentry because we want to know that that heat shield works at about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), almost half as hot as the sun, coming in at 32 times the speed of sound (nearly 40,000 kilometers per hour),” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson

“The team performing the recovery operations is at sea right now performing just-in-time training,” added Michael Sarafin, the mission’s manager.

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The possibilites

The future of the following human expedition to the Moon will depend on how well the present Artemis mission performs. NASA claims that Artemis II will take people to the Moon along the same trajectory as Artemis I, but they won’t get out. NASA has also made it known that Artemis III will attempt to send people to the Moon and land them there.

“Well, for once, I might be speechless. I have talked a lot about appreciating the moment that you’re in. And we have worked hard as a team. You guys have worked hard as a team to this moment. This is your moment,” said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director of the mission.

“As we embark on the first Artemis test flight, we recall this agency’s storied past. But our eyes are focused not on the immediate future but out there,” Nelson said months ago.

“It’s a future where NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. And on these increasingly complex missions, astronauts will live and work in deep space. And we’ll develop the science and technology to send the first humans to Mars.”