Author: CNN

CNN
 — 

And you think you helped scarf down a really big pizza recently? You’ve got nothin’ on this one.

When Pizza Hut decided to bring back its “big New Yorker” pizza – a cheese and pepperoni pie with foldable slices designed to be eaten on the go in true Manhattan style – the company wanted to find a way to celebrate the news.

The idea: Take New York to Los Angeles and collaborate with YouTube star Airrack (aka Eric Decker).

So they went to the Los Angeles Convention Center, whose space would be big enough to hold a 13,990-square-foot pizza, with the aim of breaking Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest pizza.

They went to work on the gigantic pizza on Wednesday. And on Friday, Pizza Hut sent out the official word: An onsite Guinness rep said it was indeed the world’s biggest pizza.

Guinness confirmed the record-breaking designation with CNN Travel in an email late Friday afternoon.

To complete the enormous task, workers put down layers of dough first, tomato sauce were painted on, then toppings were added. Once everything was set, it was baked in pieces, according the the news release from Pizza Hut.

In total, 13,653 pounds (6,193 kilograms) of dough, 4,948 pounds of pizza sauce, more than 8,800 pounds of cheese and roughly 630,496 pieces of pepperoni went into making the record-breaking pie.

Pizza Hut’s CEO, David Graves, told Reuters that the pizza would not go to waste – as soon as the pizza was done and documented for Guinness, its 68,000 slices would be donated to local food banks.

The previous Guinness record for the world’s largest pizza was set in 2012 by a group of Italian chefs. Their pizza was 1,261.65 square meters, gluten-free, and given the name Ottavia.

Hong Kong
CNN
 — 

Eggs have soared in cost around the world over the past year as avian flu decimated chicken flocks and fallout from Russia’s war with Ukraine raised the prices of energy and animal feed.

In the United States, egg prices have far surpassed the increase in other grocery items, soaring nearly 60% in the 12 months to December compared to the year before. In Japan, wholesale prices have reached a record high.

In New Zealand, which consumes more eggs per person than most countries, the squeeze has been exacerbated by a change in farming regulations. And rising costs have sparked a frenzy, with people hunting for hens online so they can secure their own supplies of the pantry staple.

On Tuesday, popular local auction site Trade Me told CNN that searches for chickens, and equipment related to caring for them, had spiked 190% so far this month, compared to the same period a month ago.

“Since the start of January, we have seen over 65,000 searches for chickens and other chicken-related items, like feeders, coops and food,” said Millie Silvester, a spokesperson for the company.

The shortage has also caused a particularly acute headache for bakers in the country.

“All the public are now trying to buy chickens for home because they can’t get eggs,” said Ron van Til, a bakery owner near the city of Christchurch, who has had to adjust how he makes his cakes and muffins.

Van Til said his sister was selling “four brand new chickens” on auction through Trade Me, fetching more than double the usual price.

The trend has prompted animal welfare advocates to warn against making impulse buys.

“Chickens live for a long time,” said Gabby Clezy, CEO of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in New Zealand. “They live from eight to 10 years, sometimes even longer depending on the breed.”

Clezy also noted that hens do not produce eggs their entire lives, and their laying habits are dependent on factors including their age and local climate.

“So if people are getting chickens solely because [they think] they’ll have a permanent supply of eggs, that just isn’t the case,” she said. “We’re asking people to consider them as companion animals, which they are.”

Trade Me has also urged customers on its marketplace to think through any purchases.

“It’s important that our members are aware of the responsibilities that come with owning chickens, and are well set up to care for them,” Silvester said in a statement.

Health experts are weighing in, too. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anyone signing up for a backyard coop should take special care when handling the animals and their eggs, particularly because of the risk of germs associated with salmonella.

New Zealand’s egg shortage has been linked to a long anticipated change in farming law, which took effect on January 1 this year.

The law prohibits the production of eggs from chickens kept in conventional or “battery cages” — typically cramped metal spaces that do not provide adequate welfare for hens, according to SPCA.

That’s why in 2012, the government announced a ban on such facilities.

But “a 10-year transition period away from conventional cages was introduced, to allow egg producers time to shift farming practices,” Peter Hyde, a representative for New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, told CNN in a statement when asked about the current shortage.

 “Egg producers had the option to move to colony cages, barns and free-range systems,” added Hyde, the ministry’s acting national manager of animal welfare and national animal identification and tracing compliance.

Hyde said that over the last 18 months, the ministry had “been in regular contact with operators, and visited farms needing to transition.”

Even with the long lead time, however, the ban has caused supply snags, according to some businesses.

Foodstuffs, a New Zealand supermarket chain, recently placed temporary limits on how many eggs each customer can buy.

“It’s a significant change for the egg supply industry,” Emma Wooster, the company’s head of public relations, told CNN in a statement. “We’re working with egg suppliers to increase our offer in other types of eggs.”

Countdown, another major grocery retailer, said while it did not currently have limits on egg sales, it would encourage customers to “only buy what they need” to ensure enough supply for everyone.

Other businesses have been forced to switch things up.

Van Til, the bakery owner, said his team had swapped out fresh eggs in recipes for alternative ingredients.

The longtime owner of Rangiora Bakery has seen wholesale prices for fresh eggs shoot up about 50% compared to four months ago, leading him to buy more dried eggs instead.

Van Til also pointed to changes at other local eateries, saying some cafes had started taking certain dishes off their menus so “instead of having five breakfast items [with] eggs, you might only have two.”

“And the customer hopefully will pick up pancakes or waffles,” he added. “Or whatever other offerings you come up with.”

Seoul, South Korea
CNN
 — 

Royce Williams was a real life “Top Gun” 10 years before Tom Cruise was even born.

On a cold November day in 1952, Williams shot down four Soviet fighter jets – and became a legend no one would hear about for more than 50 years.

The now 97-year-old former naval aviator was presented with the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest military honor at a ceremony Friday in California.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said on Friday that among the many proposals he has reviewed to upgrade sailors’ awards, Williams’ case “stood out above all others. It was very clear to me that his actions were truly extraordinary and more closely aligned with the criteria describing a higher medal.”

“Freedom does not come cheap,” Del Toro said. “It comes through the sacrifice of all those who have and continue to serve in today’s military. Your actions that day kept you free. They kept your shipmates free in Task Force 77. Indeed, they kept all of us free.”

Here’s what Williams did to earn that honor.

On November 18, 1952, Williams was flying the F9F Panther – the US Navy’s first jet fighter – on a mission during the Korean War.

He took off from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, which was operating with three other carriers in a task force in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, 100 miles off the coast of North Korea.

Williams, then age 27, and three other fighter pilots were ordered on a combat air patrol over the most northern part of the Korean Peninsula, near the Yalu River, which separates North Korea from China. To the northeast is Russia, then part of the Soviet Union, which supported North Korea in the conflict.

As the four US Navy jets flew their patrol, the group’s leader suffered mechanical problems and with his wingman, headed back to the task force off the coast.

That left Williams and his wingman alone on the mission.

Then, to their surprise, seven Soviet MiG-15 fighter jets were identified heading toward the US task force.

“They just didn’t come out of Russia and engage us in any way before,” Williams said in a 2021 interview with the American Veterans Center.

Wary commanders in the task force ordered the two US Navy jets to put themselves between the MiGs and the US warships.

While doing this, four of the Soviet MiGs turned toward Williams and opened fire, he recalled.

He said he fired on the tail MiG, which then dropped out of the four-plane Soviet formation, with Williams’ wingman following the Soviet jet down.

At that point, US commanders on the carrier ordered him not to engage the Soviets, he said.

“I said, ‘I am engaged,’” Williams recalled in the interview.

Williams said he also knew that because the Soviet jets were faster than his, if he tried to break off they’d catch and kill him.

“At that time the MiG-15 was the best fighter airplane in the world,” faster and able to climb and dive quicker than the American jets, he said in the interview.

His plane was suited to air-to-ground combat, not aerial dogfights, he said.

But now he was in one, with not just one, but six Soviet jets as the other three MiGs that broke off earlier returned.

What ensued was more than a half-hour of aerial combat, with Williams constantly turning and weaving – the one area where the F9F could compete with the Soviet aircraft – to not let the superior MiGs get their guns fixed on him.

“I was on automatic, I was doing as trained,” he said.

So were the Soviets.

“But on some occasions … they made mistakes,” Williams said.

One flew at him, but then stopped firing and dipped under him. Williams figured its pilot was killed by his gunfire.

And he described how another MiG got right in front of him, he hit it with his gunfire, and it disintegrated, causing Williams to maneuver sharply to avoid the wreckage and its pilot as the plane came apart.

Over the course of the fight, Williams fired all 760 rounds of 20mm cannon shells the F9F carried, according to an account of the engagement from the US Navy Memorial’s website.

But the Soviets scored hits on Williams, too, disabling his rudder and wing control surfaces, leaving only the elevators in the rear of the plane viable for him to move the jet up and down.

Luckily, he said, at this point he was heading in the direction of the US task force off the coast. But one of the remaining Soviet jets was still on his tail.

He said he flew in an up-and-down roller coaster pattern, with bullets flying above and below him as he moved, the Soviet pilot trying to get a clear shot.

Williams’ wingman rejoined the fight at this point, getting on the Soviet’s tail and scaring him off, according to the Navy Memorial account.

But Williams still had some difficult flying to do to get the damaged jet back on board the carrier.

First, with the task force wary of Soviet warplanes possibly attacking it, its heightened air defenses initially thought Williams’ F9F was a MiG, and destroyers guarding the American carriers opened fire on him.

Williams said his commander quickly put a stop to that, eliminating one danger.

Still, Williams had to get his jet on the deck on the carrier, something he’d usually do at an airspeed of 105 knots (120 mph). But he already knew if he went lower than 170 knots (195 mph), his aircraft would stall and plunge into the icy sea.

And he couldn’t turn to line up with the carrier. So the ship’s captain decided to take the extraordinary step of turning the carrier to line up with Williams.

It worked. He slammed onto the deck and caught the third and final arresting wire.

On the deck on the carrier, Navy crew counted 263 holes in Williams’ plane. It was in such poor shape, it was pushed off the ship into the sea, according to the Navy Memorial account.

But as the plane disappeared below the waves, something else had to also – the fact that the US-Soviet aerial combat happened at all.

News of Williams’ heroics went all the way to the top, with then-President Dwight Eisenhower among the senior US officials eager to speak to the pilot, according to the Navy Memorial’s website.

“Following the battle, Williams was personally interviewed by several high-ranking Navy admirals, the Secretary of Defense, and also the President, after which he was instructed to not talk about his engagement as officials feared the incident might cause a devastating increase of tensions between the US and Soviet Union, and possibly ignite World War Three,” the website says.

A US Defense Department account of the incident also notes that US forces were trying out new communications intercept equipment that day. It was feared that revealing the Soviet role in the combat would have compromised that US’ advantage.

The records of Williams’ dogfight were promptly classified by US officials and he was sworn to secrecy, meaning it would take more than five decades before his victories could be fully recognized.

In 1953, Williams was awarded a Silver Star, but the citation made no reference to Soviet aircraft, just “enemy” ones. And it only mentioned three kills. The fourth was not known until Russian records were released in the 1990s, the website says.

So it was not until 2002, when the records were declassified, that Williams could even tell those closest to him.

“For the rest of his accomplished Navy career, and for decades after retirement, the details of Williams’ dogfight with Soviet MiGs over North Korea remained a secret,” according to the US Defense Department.

“When he was finally contacted by the government and told his mission was declassified, the first person Williams said he told was his wife.”

In the following years, veterans groups who learned what he did said the Silver Star was insufficient reward for Williams, with some saying he should get the military’s highest award – the Medal of Honor.

In December last year, more than 70 years after the Korean War aerial battle, Del Toro said Williams’ Silver Star should be upgraded to the Navy Cross.

California Rep. Darrell Issa, who pushed for Williams to get the upgraded medal, called him “a Top Gun pilot like no other, and an American hero for all time.”

“It is to this day the most unique US-Soviet aerial combat dogfight in the history of the Cold War,” Issa said in a statement.

“The heroism and valor he demonstrated for 35 harrowing minutes 70 years ago in the skies over the North Pacific and the coast of North Korea saved the lives of his fellow pilots, shipmates, and crew. His story is one for the ages, but is now being fully told.”

CNN
 — 

The Memphis Police Department has terminated five police officers in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, who passed away in a hospital after being arrested by police earlier this month, according to a post from the department’s verified Twitter account.

“The egregious nature of this incident is not a reflection of the good work our officers perform, with integrity every day,” Police chief Cerleyn “CJ” Davis said in a statement.

Investigators working on an internal review of the arrest found the officers violated policies for use of force, duty to intervene and duty to render aid, the chief said.

Nichols’ family voiced its approval of the terminations, according to a statement from their attorneys.

“We join Tyre’s family in supporting the Department’s decision to terminate the five officers who brutalized him, ultimately causing his death. This is the first step towards achieving justice for Tyre and his family,” attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said. “They must also be held accountable for robbing this man of his life and his son of a father.”

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into whether the officers’ actions were criminal in nature.

“Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, the Memphis Police Association will not comment on the termination of officers in the Tyre Nichols case,” the union representing the officers said. “The citizens of Memphis, and more importantly, the family of Mr. Nichols deserve to know the complete account of the events leading up to his death and what may have contributed to it.”

Also, the Department of Justice and FBI have opened a civil rights investigation.

On January 8, the police department announced officers pulled over a motorist for reckless driving the previous day. “As officers approached the driver of the vehicle, a confrontation occurred and the suspect fled the scene on foot,” officials said in a statement posted on social media.

Officers pursued the suspect and again attempted to take him into custody when another confrontation occurred before the suspect was apprehended, according to police.

“Afterward, the suspect complained of having a shortness of breath, at which time an ambulance was called to the scene. The suspect was transported to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition,” officials said.

The man, identified as Nichols, died a few days later, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Details about the injuries Nichols suffered or his cause of death have not been released. CNN has reached out to the Shelby County coroner.

On Tuesday, city officials said the video record by the officers’ body-worn cameras will be released publicly after the police department’s internal investigation ends and after the family is given a chance to review the recordings.

Crump said Friday the family will get a chance to see the footage “in the coming days.” He and the family have planned a news conference for Monday afternoon.

CNN
 — 

At least one person was wounded in a shooting at a Walmart in Evansville, Indiana, on Thursday night, with the suspected gunman later shot and killed by responding law enforcement, according to the Evansville Police Department.

Police identified the suspect as 25-year-old Ronald Ray Mosley II, who was fired from Walmart in May, according to police spokesperson Sgt. Anna Gray said in a Friday afternoon news conference.

Mosley was fired after being arrested for multiple battery charges against other employees, Gray said.

He left a suicide note at his house on Thursday night, Police Chief Billy Bolin said.

Mosley had regularly attended mental health court hearings after being arrested on battery charges, Vanderburgh County Prosecuting Attorney Diana Moers said in Friday’s news conference.

Individuals who are admitted to a mental health court participate in a supervised treatment plan with regular reviews of progress hearings, according to an Indiana state website.

Mosley attended mental health court nearly every two weeks and had attended a hearing on Thursday afternoon related to the battery cases, Moers said.

Police first heard reports of a shooting at 9:59 p.m., Gray said at a news conference late Thursday night.

The shooting started after Mosley went into a break room in the back of the store when a meeting was about to begin, Bolin said Friday. Roughly 40 shoppers were in the store at the time, police said.

“He told everybody to line up against the wall, he had a gun in his hand, and he told two of them to stay in the middle. He ends up shooting a female at this point,” the chief added. The woman was shot in the face and is still being treated at a hospital in stable condition, according to police.

Bolin said there was another male in the room that was also an “intended target” but he took off running during the shooting. Authorities did not identify the man and woman that the shooter pointed out nor their relationship to Mosley.

When officers arrived, they encountered the suspect who fired multiple times at officers, Gray said. Officers fired back, killing the suspect.

No officers were injured during the encounter with the suspect.

During Friday’s news conference, Bolin called the store’s team lead a hero.

He said that when the shooter began firing, the shift lead “took off out the door and she ran and called 911.”

The team lead later ran back into the break room after seeing the suspect leave the area and helped the wounded woman go into another room and hide.

The investigation remains ongoing, police said.

CNN
 — 

Chris Hipkins, New Zealand’s education minister, is bidding to replace Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, after her shock resignation announcement earlier this week.

Hipkins emerged as the only candidate to be nominated for the leadership of the ruling Labour party on Saturday morning.

The Labour Party caucus is due to meet on Sunday to formally endorse and confirm Hipkins as leader, party whip Duncan Webb said.

New Zealand’s next general election is expected to be held on October 14.
Hipkins is a career politician who entered Parliament in 2008, and became a household name leading New Zealand’s pandemic management as Covid-19 response minister in Ardern’s cabinet. Aside from being education minister, he is also minister for police and the public service, and Leader of the House.

Speaking to reporters after nominations closed at 9 a.m. local time in the capital of Wellington, he said he aims to reach consensus about who is “best to lead the Labour party, and therefore, New Zealand forward.”

“I am absolutely humbled and honored,” he said, then added, “there is still a bit to go in this process. There is still a meeting tomorrow and a vote, and I don’t want to get too far ahead of that.”

The minister went on to thank his party members, saying “we have gone through this process with unity and we will continue to do that.”

He committed to leading the country in a “strong, stable and unified” way but cautioned there were challenges ahead.

“I acknowledge that at the moment, we’re going through some economic turbulence and we’re going to have to navigate our way through there,” he said.

Hipkins also told reporters that he is “incredibly optimistic about New Zealand’s future” and is “really looking forward to the job. I am feeling energized and enthusiastic.”

He served almost two years as Covid-19 response minister in a country that kept infections and deaths relatively low after shutting its borders. He also oversaw New Zealand’s phased reopening before fully welcoming back all international travel last July.

Ardern said Thursday that she would stand aside for a new leader, saying she doesn’t believe she has the energy to seek reelection.

Speaking at a news conference then, Ardern said her term would end by February 7, when she expected a new Labour prime minister would be sworn in – though “depending on the process that could be earlier.
Hipkins said Ardern – whose tenure coincided with a terrorist attack, natural disasters and a global pandemic – was “the leader that we needed at the time that we needed it.”

And he acknowledged that, like Ardern, he would be opening himself up to “a lot scrutiny and a lot of criticism” by putting his name forward.

“I go into this job with my eyes wide open, knowing what I’ve what I’ve stepped into,” Hipkins said.

CNN
 — 

A search of property records reveals that Ana Walshe had a valuable real estate portfolio and that she sold one property shortly before she disappeared.

Walshe owned at least four residential properties, according to publicly available property assessment records and tax records in Massachusetts, Maryland and Washington, DC, where she worked for a real estate firm. Her husband, Brian Walshe, is not listed as owner or co-owner of any of the properties.

Those properties include two apartments in Lynn, Massachusetts, a rowhouse in Baltimore, and a 2,500-square-foot home in DC.

At the time of her disappearance, Ana Walshe, whose husband is charged with her murder and in jail without bail, had a real estate portfolio worth nearly $2 million, according to CNN’s analysis of publicly available documents.

Ana Walshe sold at least two properties since March 2022, including one just days before her disappearance.

In March, she sold a home in Cohasset, Massachusetts, for nearly $1.4 million and purchased a home in DC for $1.3 million.

Since 2018, she sold at least four properties worth more than $2.7 million and had at least four remaining with an estimated value of $1.88 million.

The Cohasset home where she lived with her husband and her three children was rented, according to the Cohasset assessor’s office.

Property records examined by CNN include those in both her married name and the name she used before marrying Brian Walshe, Ana Knipp, but may not be an exhaustive picture of her real estate holdings.

Prosecutors have been poring over Google searches they say Brian Walshe made in the days before and after he allegedly killed his wife, dismembered her body and disposed of her remains in dumpsters around suburban Boston.

Prosecutor Lynn Beland read aloud the disturbing searches in court Wednesday as Brian Walshe, 47, was charged with murder and disinterring a body without authority. He had previously been charged with misleading investigators looking into his wife’s disappearance. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and his defense attorney suggested the evidence against him was not strong.

In particular, the searches showed prosecutors Brian Walshe’s focus on dismemberment and disposing of a body as well as insight into his motive, including a search about divorce and one about inheritance, Misty Marris, a defense attorney, told CNN.

“The story is really coming together, and those Google searches, they were essential to putting together the pieces,” she said.

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations opening, inspiration for future adventures, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.

CNN
 — 

Paris is a city beloved for fine food, fine art and fine fashion.

But a new index from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) also says that Paris is the world’s most powerful city for tourism.

The WTTC, a nonprofit travel industry body based in the UK, analyzed tourism data from the year 2022 to see where travelers were spending the most money.

The overall list of most powerful tourism cities didn’t only take museum tickets and hotel rooms into account, though. The other factor was how much local and national governments and businesses are investing in these cities as tourist destinations.

Take list-topper Paris for example: the city is preparing to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. Although fewer than 5% of the facilities will be newly built for the Games, the city is pouring resources into infrastructure, security and other measures that will help them get ready to host the world.

By that accounting, the French capital’s overall tourism total came to $35.6 billion.

So, who else made the list?

Two countries each had three cities on the WTTC list. One was the United States, with Orlando, New York City and Las Vegas representing the nation.

While each city makes a significant chunk of cash from tourism, they cater to different kinds of travelers – Orlando is popular with families visiting the city’s theme parks, Las Vegas is an internationally known gambling and nightlife hub and New York attracts foodies and art lovers, among others.

Of this group, Orlando was the highest earner, raking in $31 billion for 2022. That’s a whole lot of Mickey Mouse ears.

Three Chinese cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – landed in the top 10 for 2022.

Other Chinese destinations are working their way up the index. In particular, the beach getaway of Sanya – on sunny Hainan Island in southern China – and Macao were cited as places to keep an eye on in the future.

China has invested heavily in tourism and is advertising to international travelers now that its border has reopened. Macao is the only city in China with legal gambling, and it’s easier for most tourists to go there without a visa – unlike the mainland.

The WTTC predicts that by 2032 China will dominate its rankings.

“Major cities such as London, Paris and New York will remain global powerhouses but over the next few years, Beijing, Shanghai, and Macao will be moving up the list of top city destinations,” Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said in a statement.

Of course, there are more than two countries represented in the WTTC list. Tokyo, Mexico City and London placed in seventh, eighth and ninth respectively to round out the rankings.

In some ways, it was just as interesting to see who didn’t make it on the list.

Two surprising omissions were in the Middle East, which has skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade.

Although luxury-packed Dubai and soccer World Cup host Doha topped the list of most amount of tourism revenue, they didn’t score as highly in the other categories and wound up outside the top 10.

Amsterdam, Barcelona and Singapore also fell victim to the same phenomenon, scoring highly for amount of money spent by visitors but not landing on the overall “most powerful” list.

1. Paris, France

2. Beijing, China

3. Orlando, Florida

4. Shanghai, China

5. Las Vegas, Nevada

6. New York, New York

7. Tokyo, Japan

8. Mexico City, Mexico

9. London, UK

10. Guangzhou, China

Editor’s Note: Seek advice from a health care provider if you have chronic sleep loss and also prior to starting a workout program.

CNN
 — 

It’s the end of another long day at the office after a poor night’s sleep. As usual, you’re exhausted, yet you want to stop at the gym on the way home to get the exercise you need to stay healthy.

Should you work out when you are suffering from chronic sleep loss?

This conundrum is a widespread problem, considering 1 in 3 Americans are sleep deprived, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It is definitely a bidirectional relationship, not one or the other,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

“First, there is clear data to show that regular exercise improves sleep quality — moderate exercise in the morning, afternoon or very early evening can improve deep sleep,” Zee said.

Deep sleep is the healing stage in which your body repairs and restores itself. Also called “slow wave” sleep, it can only be achieved if your sleep quality is good, with few to no nighttime interruptions.

“Research also shows that if you sleep better, you’re more likely to be able to engage in exercise and your physical activity levels are going to be higher,” Zee said.

“So I would say that even if you have had a bad night’s sleep, you should maintain your physical activity.”

To be healthy, the body needs to move through four stages of sleep several times each night. During the first and second stages, the body starts to decrease its rhythms. Doing so prepares us for the third stage — a deep, slow-wave sleep where the body is literally restoring itself on a cellular level, fixing damage from the day’s wear and tear and consolidating memories into long-term storage.

Rapid eye movement sleep, called REM, is the final stage in which we dream. Studies have shown that missing REM sleep may lead to memory deficit and poor cognitive outcomes as well as heart and other chronic diseases and an early death.

On the flip side, years of research has found sleep, especially the deepest, most healing kind, boosts immune functioning.

Since each sleep cycle is roughly 90 minutes long, most adults need seven to eight hours of relatively uninterrupted slumber to achieve restorative sleep and be healthy, according to the CDC. Sleep debt, along with irregular sleep duration, has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, dementia and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

One night of poor sleep shouldn’t have to impact your workout routine, but chronic sleep deprivation leading to multiple days of exhaustion is another matter, experts say.

It may not be wise to hit the gym or play a sport when you’re barely putting one foot in front of the other, said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.

“Without sleep, your muscles can’t recover from the stress you put them through during workouts. It doesn’t do you much good to keep breaking down your muscles without giving them time to recover and grow stronger,” Dasgupta said.

In addition, you’re more likely to suffer an injury when you’re exhausted, he explained, due to slowed reaction times from your tired brain working to make decisions during the workout or sport.

“Poor sleep can also affect your motivation to exercise in the first place. You might find yourself dreading your normal workouts and hating every minute in the gym, which is not good for long-term adherence to a fitness plan,” Dasgupta said.

In addition, sleep deprivation can lead you to make poor food choices, which affect your fitness and physical performance, he said.

So it’s not a good idea to work out while extremely tired, but you will also sleep better and get more out of exercise if you do. What’s the answer?

Use common sense, Zee said. “If you’re not sleeping well, don’t go for that intense workout, right? Walk or do yoga instead, but certainly maintain an exercise or physical activity regimen at the regular time of the day that you normally would be doing it.”

If you’re pressed for time, consider fitting in several short bouts of exercise throughout your day.

“Everything counts,” Dasgupta said. “Do anything that makes you feel happy and refreshed. This is about hitting the reset button for yourself, not doing some form of exercise because you feel obligated to.”

CNN
 — 

The family of the 6-year-old Virginia boy who allegedly shot his first-grade teacher at a Newport News elementary school nearly two weeks ago has released a statement for the first time since the incident, lauding the teacher and saying their child has an acute disability.

“Our heart goes out to our son’s teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school,” the Thursday statement, released by attorney James Ellenson, said.

The statement comes on the same day officials announced Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner, who was wounded in the January 6 classroom shooting, has been released from the hospital.

Zwerner, 25, was shot in the chest after the bullet passed through one of her hands, Newport News Chief of Police Steve Drew told reporters last week. Police have not identified the first-grade student they say was responsible.

In the statement, the family said the gun allegedly used was secured before the shooting. They also said a family member usually went to class with him, but not the week of the incident.

“Our son suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to Class every day,” the family statement says. “We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives.”

The gun was legally purchased by the child’s mother, who could face charges at the end of the investigation, according to Drew. The child brought it to school in his backpack, he said.

Under Virginia law, it’s a misdemeanor if an adult leaves a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a way it could endanger a child under the age of 14. The statute also says it is unlawful for a person to unknowingly allow a child under the age of 12 to use a firearm.

Ellenson had no comment on CNN’s follow-up questions on how the gun was secured and how the child was able to access it the day of the shooting. The statement said the family has been cooperating with investigators.

The family’s statement also praised Zwerner.

“She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son,” the family said. “We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice. We grieve alongside all of the other teachers, families and administrators for how this horrific incident has impacted them, our community, and the nation.”

Newport News Public Schools said Thursday it could not release any additional information about the shooting at this time.

Riverside Regional Medical Center spokesperson Angela Arcieri said Zwerner was released earlier this week.

“(Zwerner) continues her recovery as an outpatient with the support of family, friends, and health professionals. The Zwerner family respectfully asks for privacy during this time,” Arcieri wrote in an emailed statement.

Police have described the shooting, which initially left the teacher critically injured, as “intentional.”

Zwerner has been praised for her heroic actions keeping her students safe after she was shot. She made sure all her students made it out of the classroom, Drew said, and was the last person to leave her classroom before making her way to the administration office.

Classrooms are closed until at least January 30, when the next semester begins. Officials have “organized a time for Richneck families to begin transitioning students back into the building” next Wednesday, according to the school’s website.

The school is hosting emotional support services Thursday and Friday for students and families.

The Richneck shooting was the first of 2023 at a US school, according to a CNN analysis. In 2022, there were 60 shootings at K-12 schools, the CNN analysis shows.

Still, school shootings by a suspect so young are very rare. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, which tracks shootings in American schools since 1970, there have been three other cases in which the suspect was as young as 6: in 2000, 2011 and 2021.