🐤 One step at a time

🏦 Markets: Just when you thought it was too late to salvage this week on Wall Street, Friday’s gains ended things on a positive note.

Netflix helped lead the way with news that it exceeded the expected number of new subscribers. Google’s parent company Alphabet also saw its stock price tick higher after announcing widespread layoffs.

Both of those developments helped push the Nasdaq 2.66% higher. The S&P 500 was close behind, gaining 1.89% on Friday, while the Dow Jones added about 1% to its value.

⛰️ Monumental debate: Although Mount Rushmore has been a celebrated national memorial for generations, not everyone believes it should remain intact. Specifically, certain Native American tribes have asserted that the four presidential busts carved into the mountain are encroaching on their ancestral land. Such protests have gathered steam in recent years, prompting supporters of the monument to take steps designed to protect it. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) recently introduced a bill that would prevent the federal government from funding any effort to alter Mount Rushmore or its name.

📲 Mobile hack: According to T-Mobile, millions of customers may have had their personal information compromised in a cyberattack the company believes was perpetrated by just one hacker. As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission explained in a report this week, an investigation determined “that the bad actor(s) obtained data from this [application programming interface] for approximately 37 million current postpaid and prepaid customer accounts, though many of these accounts did not include the full data set.” For its part, T-Mobile indicated that it is conducting its own probe and have taken the appropriate steps to notify both applicable federal agencies and customers who might have been affected.

🛶 Spicy rescue: A man whose sailboat was set adrift last month survived 24 harrowing days at sea thanks to his ingenuity and a small stash of condiments and spices. Elvis Francois said he was on the Caribbean island of Dominica when currents sent his boat out into the water, where he drifted for more than three weeks. He was able to capture some rainwater in a towel and received enough nourishment from the ketchup, garlic powder, and seasonings that he had on board to survive. He soon lost the signal to his cell phone and unsuccessfully sparked a fire to call attention to his situation. Eventually, a container ship spotted him and initiated a rescue, allowing him to share his incredible story with the world.

🐶 Protecting pets: There’s a seemingly endless selection of dog and cat breeds, each one with its own unique characteristics that include inherent strengths and weaknesses. In the Netherlands, however, one broad category might soon be banned based on the belief that they are subjected to undue suffering because of their physical attributes. According to Culture, Nature, and Food Quality Minister Piet Adema, one proposed ban would prevent citizens from owning dogs or cats with traits such as folded ears or short snouts. A companion proposal would ban the appearance of such animals in advertisements.

There are many countries around the world with a problematic history of filled with systemic human rights abuses, but every once in a while leaders go out on a limb to chart a better future.

That appears to be the case with Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio.

A public apology

As with any legitimate vow to make up for past wrongs, Bio’s push to change began with a mea culpa.

“For so long we haven’t been fair to you,” the president said, promising that a series of “groundbreaking” new laws will help establish a more equal society for all of the nation’s citizens.

Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs Manty Tarawalli applauded the move, explaining that women across the country have spent many years “crying” for their rights.

“It means a lot to women in Sierra Leone,” Tarawalli said.

Specific promises

Beyond an apology for past wrongs, Bio explained that the nation’s new Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act will set in motion a series of safeguards that will benefit girls and women.

Here are a few highlights:

• 30% of all jobs at employers with more than 25 workers must be set aside for women.
• Women receive 14 weeks of maternity leave and increased banking access.
• Violators can face fines of up to $2,500 or even jail time.

While Tarawalli spoke for many other women in the country who see the new law as a step in the right direction, she noted that “more steps will have to be taken before the country can say fairness has been achieved across the genders.”

Prior to the new protections, UN Women reported that women (who make up more than half of the population) predominantly “work in insecure, poorly paid jobs, with few opportunities for advancement.”

Health-conscious folks who try to maintain a sanitary household often focus much of their attention on certain areas that are known to contain potentially harmful germs and bacteria. Along with the bathroom, your kitchen can be home to some of the most germ-attracting surfaces in your house. But the spot with the most contamination might surprise you.

Understanding the causes

The primary reason that the kitchen is home to so much bacteria is that surfaces are not being properly cleaned during food preparation. Such cross-contamination can impact the places you’d think of first — cutting boards, garbage bins, countertops, etc. — as well as areas you might not consider to be risky.

Late last year, the Journal of Food Protection conducted research to gauge how well average home cooks cleaned up after themselves using meat that contained identifiable but harmless bacteria.

After compiling the results of the study, researchers determined that more than 8 in 10 cases resulted in the cross-contamination of at least one kitchen surface.

Understanding the risks

While germs were found in a variety of areas, there were some places that were clearly more susceptible.

Perhaps because they are known to be more prone to contamination and are therefore typically cleaned thoroughly, surfaces like cookware handles, sink faucets, cutting boards, and even trash can lids were nowhere near the top of the list.

But even the study’s authors were surprised to find spice containers were the most likely to be contaminated with nearly half of them testing positive for the bacteria.

As professor Benjamin Chapman explained: “It was a little bit of a surprise to us that we saw so much contamination on spice bottles since we were really invested in other parts of the kitchen.”

Raw meat and eggs are among the leading sources of contamination.

We’re heading into the final stretch of January, which means a lot of you (along with me) are struggling to keep your New Year’s resolutions going. If you’ve made a vow to exercise daily, however, that’s an important one to keep for your own health.

Although it’s beneficial to work out at any time of the day, it can be hard to find the time. That’s why getting an early start might be a great idea — even if it sounds miserable.

If you’re not a morning person, though, exercise physiologist Ciaran Friel advises that there are a few steps you can take to face each new day with a plan to get active.

Turn on the lights

It’s hard for anyone to get going if the sun’s not up yet, but turning on some lights can simulate those rays and stimulate your body. Darkness triggers the production of melatonin, which aids in sleeping, so bathing in some fairly bright light is a surefire way to shut down that process.

Stick to a plan

You’re not likely to maintain a routine without giving some thought to the logistics of your morning exercises. Figure out the rest of your schedule and then add in your daily workouts. While there will be some unexpected interruptions from time to time, embracing your plan as frequently as possible is another key to establishing yourself as a morning exercise pro.

Equip yourself

Although it’s not necessary to spend a huge sum on name brands and state-of-the-art technology if your goal is only to maintain an active lifestyle, you will need to cover the basics. For example, if you’ll be taking a daily jog around the neighborhood, be sure you have comfortable clothes for all seasons and reflectors that help others see you even before sunrise.