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Nebraska defense gearing up to slow down Iowa star running back Kaleb JohnsonGuest Opinion: Did greed or misplaced generosity lead to working-class fury?Lea en español For many people, this time of year is all about the shopping. And there's a fair chance many feel less than joyful about the prospect. If fulfilling your lengthy list feels overwhelming, learning what brain science and evolutionary psychology say about shopping and gift-giving might help you understand exactly why you're stressed – and even point you toward a healthier, happier holiday season. Our reactions are encoded into our nervous system, said Dr. Beth Frates, a part-time associate professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "By understanding these brain responses, people can develop strategies to manage stress better, such as setting realistic expectations, focusing on mindfulness and simplifying holiday preparations," said Frates, who also is the immediate past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. The idea of exchanging gifts at this time of year can be traced back to pagan solstice celebrations. But the drive to share with another is as old as humanity itself, said Dr. Diego Guevara Beltran, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson who studies cooperation and generosity. The science of generosity is more about survival than stocking stuffers, Guevara Beltran said. Sharing food gave early humans an evolutionary advantage. "Generosity is just one of the ways by which we can accumulate resources, be it wealth itself or friendships or work partners or more attractive, more intelligent mates," he said. Sharing with other people, Guevara Beltran said, is "a signal that communicates how much you value them, their welfare, your relationship with them." Research has shown that helping people makes us feel good. Part of that, he said, is because when someone is part of a community, they feel protected. One way this manifests is through the act of giving gifts. But to derive happiness from gift-giving, the giver needs to feel both that it was not an obligation and that it was effective, according to the 2019 World Happiness Report . That means it could be stressful to be in a culture where gift-giving feels mandatory, or if we can't see that a gift helped someone, Guevara Beltran speculated. It also might be stressful if gift-giving becomes a competition to show that you care about somebody more than the others around them. Our brains on shopping Stressful shopping can cause several physiological responses to kick in, Frates said. First is the "fight or flight" reaction that comes with stress. The release of chemicals that increase our heart rate, raise our blood pressure and intensify our breathing evolved to give us bursts of energy to escape danger. Frates said that while holiday stressors are not life-threatening, they can still trigger the stress response. The pressure to stay within budget could create a sense of scarcity, she said. "This taps into an evolutionary response, where the fear of losing resources like money can feel urgent and distressing." The holiday season also involves a lot of choices. "The brain has limited capacity for decision-making, and making multiple decisions can lead to decision fatigue," Frates said. "This fatigue reduces the ability to self-regulate and cope, which can lead to heightened stress responses when confronted with even minor setbacks, like a long line or out-of-stock item." The stress of needing to complete tasks within a limited time can intensify the fight-or-flight response, she said, as the brain interprets the ticking clock as a sense of urgency or threat. Meanwhile, Frates said, holiday shopping can also trigger brain chemicals that affect our feelings. "Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, is released when we anticipate something exciting or enjoyable, like finding a great gift or finding a good deal," she said. "This anticipation can feel rewarding even before any actual purchase is made." For some people, this dopamine boost can make shopping a relaxing experience. "It provides a temporary distraction from other stressors and allows them to focus on something positive, creating a 'holiday high,'" Frates said. For some people, that can be problematic. "When shopping becomes a way to chase that next dopamine hit, it can lead to excessive spending or impulsive purchases," she said. "This can become a trap, particularly during the holidays, when deals, sales and gift-giving pressures are everywhere." Understanding how all these processes work can help people recognize why they feel the way they do and adopt strategies to cope, Frates said. Here are some of her suggestions. 1. Start with self-care before shopping Prioritizing self-care means people can be their best selves and make good decisions, Frates said. So, "eat food that is delicious and nutritious. Get seven to nine hours of sleep. Make sure to enjoy physical activity. Take walks when you can and invite friends along. Practice stress reduction like meditation or yoga to help you calm your body and mind." Before going shopping, try taking deep breaths using stress-relieving techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing (inhale through your nose for four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale through your mouth for eight) or box breathing (inhale through the nose for four counts, hold your breath for four, exhale for four, then hold for four). 2. Be strategic Don't shop when you're hungry, tired, lonely or stressed, Frates said. And don't start shopping 15 minutes before a store closes or a website's online deals end, she said. That's setting yourself up for triggering the fight-or-flight response. 3. Be mindful Before making a purchase, take a moment to consider whether it's truly needed or whether it's an impulsive choice. To avoid overindulging, set a specific budget or limit yourself to a couple of hours or specific shopping days. "This keeps dopamine-driven spending in check while still allowing for the enjoyable aspects of holiday shopping," Frates said. Look for post-shopping activities that provide rewards without the financial cost. That can satisfy your brain's desire for more dopamine in a healthier way. "Plan enjoyable, stress-relieving activities after shopping, like going for a walk, spending time with friends or indulging in a hobby," she said. 4. Bring a friend Not only does this support healthy social connections, Frates said, but if things start feeling stressful, "you have a buddy, and you have a support system right there for you." 5. Rethink the focus of the season "With gift-giving, we need to change mindsets in order to be able to manage the stress," Frates said. The holidays could be used to emphasize social connections, she said. "Thinking about the connection with the person and making gift-giving more about deepening the connection than anything else, I think, will really help to reduce the stress around the process," she said. So instead of scouring shops and websites for the "perfect" gift, think about making a meaningful and personal one, she suggested. It could be a poem, a painting, a song or a framed photograph that captured a special time. 6. Lessons for children It's easy to get caught up in the hunt for a hard-to-get item, Frates said. But ask yourself what the holiday means in your family's traditions. "Is it about getting that perfect gift for the child? Or is it about celebrating the meaning of that holiday?" So instead of having children ask for one specific toy, or a specific brand of clothing, teach them to leave a little leeway on their lists. "It is a good reminder to express to children that this season is about giving and sharing what we can in the best way that we can," she said, "and sometimes the exact gift is not available." Encouraging such an attitude can be a tall order, Frates said, but it's a place to start. "A simple mindset shift could be the difference between a stressful holiday shopping season or a joyful journey to find meaningful gifts for people you care about." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!Do This to Prepare Your Portfolio for 2025

Canadian industry groups reacted sharply on Tuesday morning to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to impose a 25-per cent tariff on imports of all products from Canada. While the proposed tariffs would apply across the board, they could hit some Canadian sectors and regions harder than others, experts say. Trump said he will sign an executive order imposing a 25-per cent tariff on all products arriving in the United States from Canada and Mexico. The president-elect posted to Truth Social on Monday evening that the duties will be among his actions on his first day back in the White House on Jan. 20, 2025 — Inauguration Day. Erik Johnson, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, told Global News the plan could hit hard. “Around 75 per cent of our exports all go exclusively the United States. We are very tied to the U.S. when it comes to that very meaningful part of our economy,” he said. Johnson said Ontario, the heart of Canada’s auto manufacturing sector, and Alberta, which ships a large amount of oil and gas south of the border, could feel the pinch. He said some of the investments that Canada has made in its auto manufacturing industry, particularly around EV production, could slow down. Flavio Volpe, president of Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, said Canadian industry was not surprised by the announcement. “There’s a strange calm, unlike in 2016 and ’17, when he did this the first time,” Volpe said in an interview with Global News. He added, “There’s a certain amount of anxiety because now you can’t rely on a 20-year commitment in a trade agreement like the original free trade agreement and then the NAFTA. But I think we learned that lesson in 2017, ’18 and ’19,” he said. Volpe said there was no need for the sector to panic, but instead employ a “prepare and wait” approach. “We’ve been preparing for the last year, and we certainly haven’t completely gone off the throttle since his first term. We know this is coming,” he said. Another industry preparing for a Trump presidency is the aluminum industry. According to the Aluminum Association of Canada, the U.S. consumes about six million tonnes of aluminum a year and produces only 800,000 tons. The rest is largely imported from Canada. Jean Simard, president and chief executive officer of the Aluminum Association of Canada, said, “Many components that end up in their final destination, such as a car, travel back and forth 10 to 12 times across the border. So if every time they’re impacted by the same tariff, it’s going to be very tough to remain competitive.” Simard said the industry is considering pivoting to other markets if Trump goes ahead with his tariffs. “We will be tempted to ship to Europe what we normally ship to the U.S.,” he said, “They’ll take everything we can send there. Especially since Russian metal has been sanctioned out of the market.” Lana Payne, national president of Unifor, warned that these tariffs could cause higher prices in the United States and job losses in Canada. “It could have a disastrous impact on jobs in these sectors unless we’re able to work out a deal with the United States right now around Canada being exempt from these tariffs,” she said. Industry group Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters said the tariffs are a “lose-lose proposition.” Dennis Darby, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement, “Canada’s exports to the U.S. are primarily materials and inputs used by American businesses to manufacture other products.” “Imposing tariffs wouldn’t just harm Canada’s economy, it would also hurt U.S. manufacturers by increasing their costs and disrupting the deeply-integrated supply chains that make North American manufacturing globally competitive,” Darby said. Farmer groups are warning about adverse effects on agriculture, with the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) saying that 70 per cent of Canada’s grains are exported to the United States, amounting to $14 billion. “The imposition of sweeping tariffs would create instability for farmers who are already facing tight margins due to rising input costs, changing weather patterns, and increased government taxation,” the group said in a statement. The Canadian of Chambers urged a strong response to the Trump tariff proposal. “Being America’s ‘nice neighbour’ won’t get us anywhere in this situation. President-elect Trump’s intention to impose 25% tariffs signals that the U.S.-Canada trade relationship is no longer about mutual benefit. To him, it’s about winners and losers—with Canada on the losing end,” Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement. However, it is not yet certain whether a Trump administration will go ahead with the tariffs in the way Trump is proposing. Tu Nyugen, economist at RSM said, “What is more likely to happen is that there will be trade negotiations between the U.S., Canada and Mexico rather than blanket tariffs. Tariffs on all goods coming from a country is actually very difficult to implement in reality.” — with files from Canadian PressMilitary Midnight: 5 Fast Facts On The New Archer & Anduril VTOL For The US DOD

It’s embarrassing that it took a guy from New York to teach me a cool piece of ecological history in a local spot I’ve been to multiple times. And via YouTube, no less – egad! The spot is Dublin Pond, also called Dublin Lake, which is halfway between Peterborough and Keene perfect for casual kayaking. The New Yorker, from Binghamton not the Big Apple, is named Caelan Kelley with a one-man YouTube channel called Atlas Pro . And the biological history involves the silver trout, an almost-certainly-extinct species that I had never heard of. I'm not alone in my ignorance, it seems. One comment under his video is even from a ranger at Monadnock State Park who says the story of the silver trout was news to them. As part of his research, Kelley went to Christine Lake near Groveton, one of two places where this species was once known to exist. “I talked to people at Christine Lake and none of them knew what I was talking about. Not a single person knew about the silver trout, and they were old-timers,” Kelley told me. So how did Kelley learn about it? From an earlier video. The Atlas Pro channel holds more than 120 of his videos that he has made about “geography, geology, biology, and ecology” over five years, with titles ranging from “Is there a rainforest in West Virginia?” to “Antibiotic resistance” to “Why species don’t exist.” The silver trout video is a sort of spin-off from earlier work on extinct North American species. As Kelley explained it, he hopes to do a video about every one of them and decided to start with an example a few hours from home, the silver trout. The last confirmed sighting of this smaller relative of the brook trout was in Dublin Pond in 1930, so that’s where he headed. Before we get to that search, a word about his excellent video, which runs just over an hour. I say excellent both because of content and appearance. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess It could easily have been made by a documentary team with a tight script, good pacing and plenty of research, presented with production values that WMUR-TV would be happy to emulate. Yet Kelley, 27, who has a degree in environmental science rather than anything in digital production, says he did the whole thing himself using standard software packages: the drone shots, the cool animations, the underwater videos, the voice-overs and the studio shots of him talking. For those of us who remember splicing Super-8 film (am I dating myself?) it’s a startling example of what modern video technology can do. It’s also an example of modern video journalism from a business standpoint. Kelley says he started the channel in college and it has produced his only income since he graduated via YouTube’s ad algorithms plus donations via platforms like Patreon. No media company or support staff are involved. I am used to hearing about financial success from solo video channels involving porn or fake outrage and hate speech. Seeing it happen with local ecology and history is a very pleasant surprise. Now back to the ecology. The silver trout was never numerous or widespread, only found in two New Hampshire ponds, but it was sufficiently recognized that there was debate a century ago whether it was a species or not. Nonetheless, by 1939, Kelley reported, New Hampshire Fish and Game surveyed the Connecticut River watershed without finding a single one. What happened? With help from Milo Rossi, another environmental-focused YouTuber, Kelley explores the question, starting with why silver trout never seemed to exist outside a couple of small, separated ponds. One possible scenario: They were stranded in those ponds when huge Ice Age lakes disappeared as the glaciers retreated, and isolation turned them into a separate species. He also discusses why the silver trout disappeared. Reasons include overfishing once Europeans arrived – the video includes eye-popping details of backing a truck into the lake and loading up the bed with fish – plus competition from introduced species such as the rainbow trout and bass. Those stresses could easily have been fatal to a species that existed only in small, isolated populations. There’s also the possibility that silver trout cross-bred with other types of trout, meaning its DNA may lurk in modern fish even if the species is gone. The video ends with a bit of philosophizing as Kelley walks among some lake-bottom boulders that exactly match descriptions of silver trout spawning areas from a century ago. “There’s something about seeing a very real and tangible space where an extinct animal once lived and reproduced ... (which) made this seem very real. As if I was looking at the ruins of someone’s old home that had burned down,” he mused. More importantly, Kelley asked in the video, could the fish still be lurking somewhere in the waters of New Hampshire? Spoiler alert: Not that he could find in a few days of paddling and wading and filming, although his efforts are well worth watching: “To make it rewarding you have to see the failures, too.” Kelley says the real hope is that the video will be a spur for others. “I’m just some guy with a GoPro ... one person with a very limited set of skills,” he told viewers in the video. “Now that you too know exactly where and when to find this fish, more people can take part in trying to find silver trout.” Even if you don’t find the silver trout – and you probably won’t – it’s a great excuse to get out on the water. And if you do find something, I want to hear about it! David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmonitor.com

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Marking the Thanksgiving Day holiday, the Journal Star will not be distributing a print edition Thursday, Nov. 27. Today's edition features the puzzles and many of the features you would normally see in your Thursday paper. Today's Thomas Joseph crossword is on Page A2, and today's comics, puzzles and other features are on pages B6-B8. The Thursday Thomas Joseph crossword is on A8, and Thursday comics, puzzles and features are on pages B7, B8 and B9. The Journal Star will still offer a basic e-edition Thursday, and JournalStar.com will be updated throughout the day with new stories, features and any breaking news, including high school and Husker sports. Your regular print edition of the Journal Star will be back Friday. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!