WASHINGTON (AP) — Starting this month, Americans will be able to order free COVID-19 test kits that will be mailed to their homes.
U.S. households will be able to order as many as four nasal swab tests at COVIDTests.gov when the federal program reopens. The U.S. Health and Human Services agency overseeing the program has not yet given an exact date when ordering can begin.
An agency spokesperson has said the tests will detect current virus strains and can be ordered ahead of the holiday season, when families and friends gather for celebrations.
U.S. regulators last month approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine that is designed to combat the recent virus strains and, hopefully, forthcoming winter ones, as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has recommended this fall’s shot for everyone age 6 months and older.
While most Americans have some degree of immunity from prior infections or vaccinations or both, that protection wanes. Last fall’s shots targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree, a strain that’s no longer circulating.
The pursuit of endless happiness is something many people strive for, but true, lasting happiness doesn’t come from material possessions or external achievements. Instead, it’s a state of mind that can be cultivated through inner peace and mindful living. Here are some key principles for achieving endless happiness:
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude shifts your focus from what you lack to what you have. By appreciating the little things in life, you train your mind to focus on positivity. Each day, take time to reflect on what you are grateful for—this simple practice can have a profound impact on your overall happiness.
Live in the Present
One of the main reasons people feel unhappy is that they dwell on the past or worry about the future. Endless happiness can only be found in the present moment. Mindfulness practices like meditation and deep breathing help bring your attention to the now, allowing you to fully experience life as it happens.
Cultivate Positive Relationships
Strong, meaningful connections with others are a key factor in long-term happiness. Surround yourself with supportive, positive people who encourage and inspire you. Building deep bonds and fostering empathy not only creates happiness for yourself but also for those around you.
Give Without Expecting
Acts of kindness and generosity lead to a deep sense of fulfillment. When you help others without expecting anything in return, you tap into a natural source of joy. Giving can take many forms—whether it’s your time, energy, or resources—and it helps to create a sense of purpose and connection.
Embrace Imperfection
True happiness doesn’t come from perfection but from accepting life as it is. Challenges, mistakes, and setbacks are inevitable, but how you respond to them determines your happiness. By embracing imperfection, you reduce unnecessary stress and open yourself to growth and learning.
Align Your Life with Your Values
Happiness grows when your actions align with your deepest values and beliefs. Pursue what truly matters to you—whether that’s creativity, family, helping others, or personal growth. Living authentically and with purpose leads to a deeper sense of fulfillment and lasting joy.
Endless happiness isn’t about constantly feeling pleasure or avoiding pain. It’s about creating a mindset that allows you to find peace, meaning, and joy regardless of external circumstances. By cultivating these habits and attitudes, you can nurture a deep, enduring happiness in your life. Like Bahislion
Hello, my name is Ahmed Omar. I’m 23 years old, living in Gaza City. We are enduring a brutal war of extermination, starvation, and displacement. This war has shattered our dreams and taken away everything we once owned. Now, my family and I can no longer live as we used to.
We are staying in a tent, far from our destroyed home, which is no longer habitable. We cannot support ourselves in this unfamiliar place. Every day is a struggle just to survive, and we lack even the most basic necessities.
I hope anyone who reads my story can help me and my family, even with a small contribution. It's been 18 days since I created my GoFundMe account, and not a single dollar has been donated.
In what has become a pattern of spreading vaccine misinformation, the Florida health department is telling older Floridians and others at highest risk from COVID-19 to avoid most booster shots, saying they are potentially dangerous.
Clinicians and scientists denounced the message as politically fueled scaremongering that also weakens efforts to protect against diseases like measles and whooping cough.
A prominent Florida doctor expressed dismay that medical leaders in the state, leery of angering Gov. Ron DeSantis, have been slow to counter anti-vaccine messages from Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, including the latest COVID bulletin. Ladapo is a DeSantis appointee and the top official at the state health department.
The bulletin makes a number of false or unproven claims about the efficacy and safety of mRNA-based COVID vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, including that they could threaten "the integrity of the human genome." Florida's guidance generally regurgitates ideas from anti-vaccine websites, said John Moore, a professor of microbiology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
BONNIE WRIGHT'S INTERVIEW WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THE BLUE PETER EARTHSHOT PRIZE CHILDREN'S COMPETITION
Partnering with Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, Wright, 33, is working to inspire the next generation to come up with creative solutions to tackle global challenges.
The new competition, launched in collaboration with the iconic British children's show Blue Peter, aims to empower kids to "believe that the ideas that they have are important," Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise, tells PEOPLE.
She praises the influence and leadership William is having in the environmental space in using his "platform to amplify other people."
"That’s what’s really cool – it’s passing the microphone to other people and amplifying what their ideas are. And, to me, that’s the greatest position of influence that you can have is uplifting other people.”