Climate change is speeding up ocean circulation, foods rich in antioxidants may relieve muscle soreness, the travel industry is being impacted by the coronavirus, public officials looking to cannabis as revenue source.

These, and more, are the newsworthy stories from this past week.

Science and Environment

• A study found that listening to high-tempo music while exercising resulted in the highest heart rate and lowest perceived exertion compared with not listening to music. This means that the exercise seemed like less effort, but it was more beneficial in terms of enhancing physical fitness.
  
  – ZME Science

• New research from Tufts University and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature found that habitat loss, pesticides, and artificial light pollution are posing serious threats to firefly species around the world.
  
  – ZME Science
  

• Climate change may be speeding up ocean circulation. Since the 1990s, wind speeds have picked up, making surface waters swirl faster.
  
  – Science News Magazine
  

Health and Society

• A 2017 study found that foods rich in antioxidants may relieve muscle soreness. Watermelon, for instance, is rich in an amino acid called L-citrulline. Other foods that are a great source of antioxidants include pineapple, ginger, and cherries.
  
  – ZME Science
  

• A Chinese doctor who became a folk hero after he was arrested for warning about the dangers of the deadly new coronavirus spreading around the world died after becoming infected​ with it.
  
  – The Wall Street Journal
  

• Homelessness is on the rise in many of America’s biggest and most expensive cities — but it’s a growing problem in rural areas, too.
  
  – Axios
  

• About 80,000 people in the Philadelphia suburbs live in an area where the groundwater had been contaminated by chemicals used for decades in firefighting foam at nearby decommissioned military bases.
  
  – The Wall Street Journal
  

• The Kansas City Chiefs came back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 and win Super Bowl LIV, their first Super Bowl title in 50 years.
  
  – The Wall Street Journal
  

Business and Economics

• Macy’s plans to close 125 department stores over three years. The move is an admission that a fifth of its locations can’t thrive as shoppers buy more online and make fewer trips to the mall.
  
  The company is also cutting roughly 2,000 corporate jobs, or 10% of corporate and support staff, and closing offices. As part of its restructuring efforts, Macy’s will test opening smaller stores in strip centers, where more people shop.
  
  – The Wall Street Journal
  

• Warner Bros. is finalizing agreements with the cast of “Friends” for a reunion special that will likely be used to launch the HBO Max streaming service this spring.
  
  – The Wall Street Journal
  

• Disney revealed that its new streaming service, Disney+, has 26.5 million paid subscribers, a huge number for a service that launched in November.
  
  – Axios
  

• Disclosing YouTube revenue separately for the first time, Alphabet said that the Google-owned video site accounted for more than 10% of the company’s $46.1 billion in revenue last quarter, and more than $15 billion for the year.
  
  – Axios
  

• Hotels, airlines, luxury retailers and cruise lines also have been hard hit as much of China — home to some of the world’s biggest spending tourists — is locked down until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.
  
  – Axios
  

Government and Politics

• With recreational cannabis now legal in 11 states, public officials are looking to emulate California, where local governments collected $1.86 billion from cannabis sales in 2018 and nearly as much in the first three quarters of 2019, according to consulting firm HdL Cos.
  
  – The Wall Street Journal
  

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